Genderkingen/Donauwörth, Germany, February 28, 2020. The “Tensor 600X” from Fraundorfer Aeronautics has successfully completed its maiden flight. During the approximately one-hour flight, the aircraft reached speeds of up to 130 km/h and flight altitudes of 500 meters. Several take-offs and landings as well as stability and controllability tests were performed. “The first test flight ran to our complete satisfaction and not only showed that our calculations were correct, but also impressively demonstrated the potential of the technology,” says Christoph Fraundorfer, founder and CEO of Fraundorfer Aeronautics AG.The German technology and aviation company has thus achieved a breakthrough for the future of flying. The technology of the Tensor 600X is the basis for a new, significantly more powerful generation of aircraft. With this, the company wants to establish efficient and environmentally friendly locomotion in the air that is independent of infrastructure on the ground.

“Our vision at Fraundorfer Aeronautics is to fly in areas where it has not been possible before. After seven years of development, we have now proven with the Tensor 600X that our technology is ready for practical application,” says Fraundorfer. The next step will follow in just a few months: the market launch of an aircraft for personal air mobility.

With this successful first flight, the company is demonstrating the performance of its patented technology: it enables vertical take-off; it is quiet, easy to handle and inexpensive to fly; it is efficient and designed for alternative propulsion systems and already meets the safety standards that form the basis for the necessary legal approvals.

Particularly efficient aircraft with a range of 600 kilometers

The “Tensor” is a completely newly developed “Compound Gyrocopter”. It works with the principle of autorotation. The energy contained in the air is used to drive the rotor. In addition, a wing generates further lift, thereby increasing performance and stability. The aircraft is about twice as efficient as a comparable helicopter, it has a range of 600 kilometres and a maximum travel speed of 200 km/h.

The concept of the aircraft is prepared for all forms of future mobility. It is designed for various types of propulsion such as electric and hydrogen propulsion. It is also technically possible to use it with autonomous and vertically starting systems. “We will use these technologies when the legal and technical framework conditions are in place,” said Fraundorfer.

Fraundorfer Aeronautics is a pioneer with its patented rotor technology and cooperates with renowned industrial partners. On the basis of this technology, the company will launch its own two-seater aircraft for personal air mobility, the “Tensor 600X”, before the end of this year. This will make aviation a fast, safe, individual and everyday means of transport in the premium mobility market for medium distances between 50 and 600 kilometres.

Fraundorfer Aeronautics aims to shape passenger transport and cargo logistics

The characteristics of the Tensor make this aircraft very suitable for use in urban environments, for example for airport feeder services. But also between cities and in regions with weak infrastructure, the Tensor with its capabilities offers great advantages, for example for rescue services, transport flights or in disaster control. This is because the machine flies very safely, even in poor weather conditions, can be operated at low cost and requires only a few metres of take-off or landing area. From the middle of the decade, a larger version of the aircraft will also be launched on the Tensor platform.