Aura Aero has returned the former VoltAero Cassio S hybrid-electric demonstrator to flight under a new name, X-VOLT, and will operate it as a flying testbed for its future regional aircraft.
The re-flight took place at Rochefort Airport in western France, around two months after Aura Aero acquired the assets of fellow French developer VoltAero. The Toulouse-based company gained the demonstrator, patented propulsion technology, flight-test data and part of VoltAero’s team through the deal.
The acquisition also handed Aura Aero VoltAero’s industrial site at Rochefort, which adds more than 25,000ft² (2,322m²) of assembly, engineering and test space with direct runway access. The base complements the company’s existing facilities in Toulouse.
X-VOLT will serve as a flying testbed for propulsion technologies for the Electric Regional Aircraft (ERA), Aura Aero’s planned 19-seat hybrid-electric type, the first flight of which is scheduled for late 2027.
Fitted with Safran’s ENGINeUS electric motors also selected for ERA, the demonstrator will allow the manufacturer to test propulsion elements under flight conditions before they are integrated into the prototype. It can also flight-test advanced systems developed by Aura Aero or by industry partners seeking a flight-test platform.
For ERA, Aura Aero has selected a series-hybrid layout in which eight ENGINeUS motors, each rated at just under 200kW, drive a distributed propulsion system.
The Cassio S first flew in 2019 and is based on the airframe of a Cessna 337 Skymaster. It uses a parallel hybrid powertrain that draws on electric power for taxi, take-off and landing, with an internal combustion engine acting as an in-flight range extender.
By the time of the acquisition, the demonstrator had completed more than 270 flights and covered around 15,500 miles (25,000km), according to Aura Aero. Combined with the fully electric Integral E two-seat trainer, the two programs have logged more than 350 hybrid or electric flights.
VoltAero was founded by Jean Botti, a former Airbus chief technology officer who led the manufacturer’s E-Fan electric aircraft project. The company filed for insolvency in late 2025 after a planned investment failed to materialize before Aura Aero acquired its assets in June.
Aura Aero has described the Integral E as a foundation for the larger ERA, and is building assembly capacity in France and the USA. The manufacturer secured around €340m (US$400m) in funding earlier in 2026.
