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All-Electric eFlyer 800
Unveiled earlier this year, Bye Aerospace’s eFlyer 800 is set to bring a new dimension to the twin- turboprop market, leaning upon years of vision- focused engineering. Boasting two wing-mounted,
all-electric Safran power plants (in-development) rated from 50kW to 500kW/1MW, the eight-seat, single-pilot twin aircraft will introduce a new era of cabin-class aviation. One of the key-value aspects of the aircraft is its projected operating costs, calculated to be one-fifth of traditional gas-dependent options.
Whenever a new aircraft, especially one that relies heav- ily upon newer technologies, is introduced, skeptics can be quick to discount its viability within a competition-heavy, highly regulated industry. Many have criticized the poten- tial for aircraft powered in part or full by electricity. But it seems that the winds have recently shifted in favor of the possibility as there are increasingly more entrants in the hybrid or full-electric future of aviation (see “An Electric Future” Twin & Turbine, February 2021).
Bye Aerospace is based in Englewood, Colorado, led by its namesake founder George Bye. Bye has been referred to as “The Father of Today’s Electric Aviation Industry.” He has long been an active proponent of the aviation industry,
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RENDERING OF THE EIGHT-SEAT EFLYER 800, EXPECTED EIS IN 2025.
with two decades of experience as an engineer, entrepre- neur and executive who conceives, designs and develops all-electric manned and drone aircraft. Bye strives to in- novate and pioneer new approaches and technologies that create extraordinary performance and value to the market.
Much of his efforts have been under the Bye Aerospace name, and since its founding, the company has been en- tirely focused on the electric future of aviation. One of its first undertakings was converting a Cessna 172 to electric propulsion. This and other projects led the team to focus
Bye Aerospace Founder and CEO George Bye.