Italian advanced air mobility designer Manta Aircraft and China's Shenyang Aviation Industries Group are establishing a partnership to continue on the path to develop the Manta ANN hybrid electric HeV/STOL for regional air mobility. The solution of the hybrid propulsion system, coupled with four optimised ducted fans for hovering and four for cruising, offers the longest range in the eVTOL segment, with high cruising speed.

The programme follows Manta Aircraft's programme to develop a scalable technology for a multi-functional long-range HeV/STOL platform, from which several models can be derived, for public utility and service missions, as well as a for fully autonomous high-performance operations.

The partnership between Manta Aircraft and Shenyang Aviation Industries Group to develop the ANN Plus aircraft will lead to common R&D activity, production technology for two full-scale prototypes, certification with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and industrialisation. It will cover the Chinese and South Asian markets not only for marketing activity but also for MRO services. The partners are supported by Baoding Kaiborui Technologies.

This new industrial partnership was presented on 26 October at a rollout ceremony in Shenyang in China, which was jointly hosted by the Shenyang Aviation Industries Group and Baoding.

A full-scale mock-up of the ANN Plus model will be unveiled at this year's China Airshow in Zhuhai, 12-17 November 2024. Details of the joint programme will be presented during the show.

The focus of the Manta Aircraft's programme is on viability, and this has led to the founding of the project on a very conventional canard layout, comprehensively tested in the wind tunnel, with non-stop CFD (computational fluid dynamic) simulations, a hybrid configuration that includes a small battery with the performance commercially available today, supported by the development of specific calculation methods for performance prediction, a pilot-in-the-loop simulator and scaled prototypes intensively flown.

The programme also capitalises on China's economic focus on the Low Altitude Economy, with which is preparing to integrate electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft operations. Through regulatory reforms, airspace management and the creation of pilot project zones, the country is entering a new era of greater liberalisation of its general aviation (GA) sector.

The ANN Plus is a multipurpose, six-seater air vehicle offering comfortable space for one pilot and five passengers and designed for personal mobility, business travel, special and cargo transport operations. Combining helicopter versatility with airplane efficiency, this aircraft supports both vertical and short takeoff and landing (VTOL and STOL), enabling operations anywhere from airports to helipads to unprepared remote areas. With a range of 300 km for VTOL operations and up to 1,000 km using a short airstrip for STOL operations, it offers unmatched mission flexibility, regardless of infrastructure. Its large radius allows extended missions without refuelling, while batteries are recharged in flight, making it ideal for scenarios like outback, offshore and inter-regional operations. Perfect for both urban and remote locations, it delivers superior performance with minimal reliance on ground support.

The Manta proprietary technical calculation tools derive from a combined 60 years of experience in airplane and helicopter design, applied to over 20 certified aircraft, lending a reliable performance and flight control prediction.

For the globally operating Italian Manta Aircraft, this is the next step in its programme to optimally use existing resources and to build an efficient supply chain that helps to keep the necessary investments to a minimum level.

This partnership complements a setup of strong research and development partners in the likes of Avionord, NAYLAM, YCOM, Khalifa University and others, with whose help Manta Aircraft will take off and take off in the near future.