FREA – Wing for Regional Electric Aircraft
The project aims to develop a battery-integrated-wing for advanced air mobility. This wing will enable aircraft to fly fully electric, with up to 9 passengers and in an energy-efficient way.
Project Partners
Vaeridion GmbH, Bauhaus Luftfahrt, INVENT GmbH, Chair of Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics and the Assistant Professorship of eAviation and Sustainable Flight
Duration
01.01.2025 – 30.06.2027
Funding authority
Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy
Motivation
A major challenge in aviation is the achievement of climate neutrality. To meet this goal, future aircrafts must become energy-efficient and make use of renewable energy sources. Electric flights offer a promising solution, especially through the integration of batteries into the wing structure. This not only enables a lighter and more aerodynamically optimized design but also enhances the efficient implementation of fully electrified Regional Air Mobility (RAM) concepts. Through innovative lightweight materials and new design approaches, this project aims to make electric propulsion more efficient, contributing to a long-term aviation sustainability.
Method
This project focuses on integrating batteries into the wing structure of an electric aircraft to reduce weight and enhance aerodynamic efficiency. At the Chair of Carbon Composites (LCC), suitable materials for battery enclosures will be tested at a pack-level. Additionally, together with the project partners, a demonstrator will be developed and subjected to mechanical bending-load testing to evaluate its structural integrity. The close collaboration with the project partners ensures that innovative technologies will be evaluated under realistic scenarios. The main goal is to take a step towards fully electric and sustainable aviation.
Acknowledgement
The Chair would like to thank the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action for funding the project FREA - Wing for Regional Electric Aircraft within the “Luftfahrtforschungsprogramm (LuFo VI-3)“. (Grant number: 20M225D).
Contact Persons
Margarita Etchegaray Bello, M.Sc.; Dipl.-Ing. Thomas Wettemann