Overair Selects Toray to Provide Advanced Materials for Butterfly eVTOL Prototype Programme
Overair will utilise Toray Composite Materials America’s advanced pre-impregnated (prepreg) system in its Butterfly prototype low-noise, zero-emission eVTOL aircraft for sustainable aerial ridesharing in densely populated cities.
Toray is a leading manufacturer of advanced carbon fibre and composite prepreg materials, and its carbon fibre and resin system will be part of Overair’s all-electric aircraft expected to take flight in 2023.
The Butterfly prototype aircraft utilises Toray’s T1100/3960 prepreg system, a material that is formulated for high-performance aerospace applications where the optimal ratio of strength to modulus of elasticity is critical.
Toray’s 3960 is a highly-toughened 350°F/177°C cure epoxy resin with a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 400°F/204°C, optimised for increased performance and allowing for both autoclave and out-of-autoclave curing.
The resin is synergistic with the TORAYCA T1100 next-generation intermediate modulus plus (IM+) carbon fibre, which is the highest tensile strength fibre available today, while the T1100/3960 unidirectional and plain weave prepreg is utilised in the Butterfly’s airframe structure and propulsion units.
Overair Co-Founder and CEO Ben Tigner said: “We are excited to be working closely with Toray’s advanced materials as we continue to develop our all-electric Butterfly experimental prototype aircraft.
“Our unique propulsion system requires materials that provide a unique combination of high stiffness and high strength, while also maintaining the optimal weight targets for the vehicle.”
Overair recently completed full-scale testing of Butterfly’s propulsion system which validated Overair’s design choices and Butterfly’s expected performance capabilities and Butterfly’s propeller will be showcased at the Farnborough International Air Show from July 18 to July 22 in Farnborough, England.
Toray director of business development for aerospace Jeff Cross added: “It is an honour for Toray to partner with Overair on this endeavour and provide the Butterfly a unique performance advantage with our 3960 prepreg system.
“We are excited for the future as Overair proceeds with full-scale development and testing, and the proven performance of our materials gives me confidence that we can help achieve Overair’s objective of producing the safest, most efficient, and reliable eVTOL aircraft.”
In December 2020, Joby Aviation signed a long-term agreement with Toray Advanced Composites to use its composite material for its eVTOL aircraft planned for launch in 2023.
Earlier, in July 2020, Lilium signed an agreement with Toray to supply higher performance carbon fibre composites used to build the Lilium Jet’s primary structures such as flaps, fuselage and wings.
