another way to fly
Presentation
First Flight
A different way to fly
Inspection / Intervention
Tourism / Leisure
Events / Advertising
Aerial Work
Agriculture
Maintenance
l'aérOnde is a 100% electrically powered aircraft, buoyed by helium, with vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) capabilities, allowing for safe flying with up to 2 people on board and cargo. It operates silently, with minimal energy consumption, for several hours.
l'aérOnde can be utilized in a wide range of applications and missions: tourism and leisure; inspection & intervention (e.g., linear constructions, railways, electric cable laying, roof treatments); agriculture (monitoring and operations); communications and events (telecom relay, etc.); security (mine detection, natural disaster response). And many more applications yet to be discovered...
The first aérOnde is undergoing certification under the class 5 of the French ultralight (ULM) regulation. Class 5 pertains to aerostats meeting the following criteria: a maximum volume of the aerostat of 900 m3, power limited to 75kW for single-seater or 90 kW for two-seater. More details on class 5 here.
l'aérOnde is characterized by its very low energy consumption, does not emit harmful exhaust gases, flights are very quiet, and there is very little airflow disturbance compared to the significant air mixing of helicopters.
l'aérOnde offers an alternative to helicopters for those seeking low environmental impact, silence, very low energy consumption, long-duration missions, and excellent stationary control.
The toroidal shape offers four advantages: it avoids the wind vane effect encountered by airships, allows for hangar entry and exit regardless of wind direction, simplifies the manufacturing of the envelope, and enables the aerostat to be housed in lower-height hangars. Additionally, the toroidal shape is very elegant!
The dimensions of l'aérOnde were selected to fit into the class 5 category of the French ultralight regulation, which allows for the safe transport of 2 people on board. The outer diameter of the envelope is 15m, and its height is 4.5m.
l'aérOnde can lift up to 200 Kg at equilibrium and 400 Kg with the assistance of the 12 thrusters. Each m3 of Helium can lift 1 Kg of load.
l'aérOnde is already very easy to pilot in three dimensions; piloting assistance makes the aircraft perfectly stable and supports/controls the movements. An autopilot mode will allow for stationary holding without pilot intervention, even in windy conditions.
Contrary to popular belief, an aerostat is naturally secure. Even riddled with holes, the envelope can fly for a very long time as the internal gas pressure is only about 4 millibars, so it escapes extremely slowly. In most use cases, l'aérOnde flies with a slight overweight balance, gently bringing it to the ground in the event of a complete engine failure (similar to hot-air balloon flight). We have demonstrated that with just one operational engine out of three, l'aérOnde remains controllable.
l'aérOnde's highly innovative design is patent-protected.
l'aérOnde can be used in weather conditions that allow for visual flight in general aviation. It can fly in rain and poor visibility, as well as under wind gusts of up to 40 km/h.
With a payload of 200 kg, the economical cruising speeds of l'aérOnde are around 20 km/h in all three directions (forward<->backward, up<->down, left<->right). Under these conditions, the autonomy is about 4 hours.
Each of the three directional thrusters has four electric motors. Each motor is powered by an INR Lithium Ion battery pack with a total capacity of 8kWh. With a consumption of 1.2 kWh per hour under standard usage conditions, l'aérOnde has an autonomy of more than 4 hours while maintaining a safety reserve.
INR Lithium Ion batteries (lithium manganese nickel) allow us to simultaneously meet safety requirements under our usage conditions, mass energy needs, and available power.
The envelope is made of a special helium-proof fabric that is tear-resistant. The assembly of the different fabrics is achieved through stitching, welding, and/or gluing.
This wireless option (fly by radio) significantly reduces issues related to wiring (connection time, possible assembly errors, fires, etc.), lightens l'aérOnde, and simplifies its maintenance. All communications are protected by the latest encryption techniques to ensure robust control.
For an hour of flight, with a total consumption of around 1.2 kWh, the energy cost is less than 1€, whereas a helicopter used for aerial work consumes about 200 liters of kerosene.
As l'aérOnde falls into the category of ultralight class 5 airships, the pilot will need to have the corresponding pilot's license. Additional training will be offered by the AERONDE company.
The aérOndes are designed and assembled at the Grenoble le Versoud aerodrome. They will also be tested on this platform.
Currently, 6 people are working full-time on the project. Additionally, over 400 INP-Ense3 students have also contributed to the project in previous years.
Simply because l'aérOnde is an aerostat that is all about roundness!
Email: contact@aeronde.com
Aéronde
Aérodrome de Grenoble Le Versoud
38420 Le Versoud
FRANCE