Solvay becomes Beta Technologies material supplier for AAM
Beta Technologies’ electric CTOL and VTOL aircraft will use lightweight composite materials to enable zero-emission passenger and cargo air transit.
Solvay (Alpharetta, Ga., U.S.) has been appointed as primary composite material supplier to Beta Technologies (South Burlington, U.S.), an electric aviation company based out of Vermont, with an office in Montréal, Canada. Solvay will provide Beta with qualification support and advanced materials for the production of its Alia electric conventional takeoff and landing (eCTOL) fixed-wing aircraft, and Alia electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL), developed for a variety of applications, including medical, cargo and passenger transportation.
“Solvay is proud to be the advanced material supplier of choice for Beta Technologies as they bring their new aircraft to market” Marc Doyle, executive VP, composite materials, Solvay, says. “These vehicles represent a new dawn in safe and efficient electric aviation. Solvay’s portfolio of composite, adhesive and specialty polymer solutions will help ensure the development of lightweight and certifiable aircrafts. Our technical team is supporting Beta and its partners remotely and on-site across material qualification, certification and industrialization.”
“We’re focused on building the safest, most reliable, technically proficient and scalable electric aircraft, and that means starting from the strongest foundation possible, right down to the materials and systems we use,” Beta Technologies founder and CEO, Kyle Clark, says.
Solvay and Beta are collaborating to select and qualify a tailored suite of materials from Solvay’s broad portfolio to meet the rigorous performance and rate demands of the advanced air mobility market. Composites and specialty polymers will be used for primary and secondary structures, as well as non-structural parts, combining multifunctional integration with high strength and low weight, as well as electromagnetic interference and lightning protection.
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