The EXAELIA Project – EXperimental Aircraft for European Leadership In Aviation, founded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe Programme has officially launched in January 2025. Łukasiewicz – Institute of Aviation is one of 23 partners in the consortium, which aims to define the requirements for flying testbeds and develop their preliminary design to investigate promising new technologies for future long-range passenger aircrafts.
Need for New Concepts and Technologies
Faced with the urgent need to decarbonize transport, rapid advancements in aviation technologies and radically new aircraft concepts are anticipated. However, developing disruptive aircraft designs requires significant investments, carries risks, and involves time-consuming processes. To enable the entry into service of future long-range aircraft by 2050, trade-off studies must begin early to reduce costs, risks, and development time.
Path to Development
Within the EXAELIA project, consortium partners will identify new technologies and solutions, related to airframe structure/ configuration and propulsion systems, based upon which they will develop designs of flying testbeds (FTBs). These FTBs will serve to increase the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the innovations and assess their feasibility and applicability for future passenger aircraft.
Role of Łukasiewicz – Institute of Aviation
The Institute leads a Work Package (WP) focused on small-scale technology demonstrators, which will be tested – depending on their type – either in flight or in a wind tunnel. Additionally to coordinating this WP, the Institute is also responsible for a range of R&D activities, including design activities, structural and flow analyses, testing, and defining technology development roadmaps. It will also contribute to the assessment of the Life Cycle Cost Index component (LCC-I) for proposed Future Long Range Aircraft (FLRA) configurations.
Consortium
The EXAELIA consortium, coordinated by the Royal NLR – Netherlands Aerospace Centre brings together leading research institutions, academic partners, and SMEs from 13 European countries.
An Advisory Board (AB) composed of key industry representatives – including major airframers and engine manufacturers – has also been established. The AB will support the consortium with guidance on development activities and roadmap definition.
Contact
Project Leader: Arkadiusz Gawlik
Email: arkadiusz.gawlik@ilot.lukasiewicz.gov.pl
Research Leader: Magdalena Gronowska
Email: magdalena.gronowska@ilot.lukasiewicz.gov.pl
Website: www.exaelia.eu
LinkedIn page: http://www.linkedin.com/company/exaelia
Funded by the European Union under GA No. 101191922. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
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The Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Aviation is one of the most modern research facilities in Europe, with traditions dating back to 1926. The Institute closely cooperates with global tycoons of the aviation industry, such as: Boeing, GE, Airbus, Pratt & Whitney, and institutions from the space industry, including the European Space Agency. Strategic research areas of the Institute are aviation, space and unmanned technologies. It also provides research and services for domestic and foreign industries in the field of materials, composite, additive, remote sensing, energy and oil&gas technologies. More: ilot.lukasiewicz.gov.pl/en/
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