Demonstration of an Ultra-Efficient Rear Fuselage and Empennage and Its Integrated Industrial System enabling EIS2035 for the SMR Aircraft
Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
The Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking (CAJU) is a successful public-private partnership between the European Commission and the European aeronautics industry that is on the way to achieving its environmental performance targets.
The Clean Aviation JU will develop disruptive new aircraft technologies to support the European Green Deal, and climate neutrality by 2050. These technologies will deliver net greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions of no less than 30%, compared to 2020 state-of-the-art. The technological and industrial readiness will allow the deployment of new aircraft incorporating these technologies no later than 2035, enabling 75% of the world’s civil aviation fleet to be replaced by 2050. The aircraft developed will enable net CO2 reductions of up to 90% when combined with the effect of sustainable ‘drop-in’ fuels, or zero CO2 emissions in flight when using hydrogen as energy source.
Clean Aviation’s aeronautics-related research and innovation activities, focusing on breakthrough technology initiatives, will contribute to the global sustainable competitiveness of the European aviation industry. European aviation research and innovation capacity will be strengthened through the partnership, enabling new and ambitious global standards to be set.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
Development and demonstration of an Ultra-Efficient Rear Fuselage and Empennage (RFE) and its integrated industrial system for the Ultra-Efficient SMR Aircraft. This topic targets the delivery of a RFE full component assembly alongside an Industrial system including advanced manufacturing and assembly processed supporting the high-rate production of such structural components at TRL6, with an aim to significantly reduce the weight at component level and increase competitiveness through co-development of product and production processes, ensuring a clear route towards certification, exploitation and industrialisation for EIS 2035.
Detailed Call Description
The configuration of the Ultra-efficient SMR aircraft concept proposed in Clean Aviation is expected to maintain a tube and wing design and target Entry into Service (EIS) by 2035. Such an aircraft concept should have a capacity of200-250 pax with a design range up to 3000NM, operated on a typical mission of 800NM at cruise speed Ma 0.78.
To meet the future demand and enable the EIS by 2035 of the Ultra-Efficient SMR aircraft, the production rate needs to increase significantly. However, the aircraft manufacturing ecosystem remains constrained by the effects of supply chain disruptions, labour shortages, and limited availability of critical component, leading to backlogs and delayed fleet renewal. These industrialization challenges need to be addressed now, to accelerate aircraft production rates and support the future modernization of the global fleet with the Ultra-Efficient SMR. This is also critical to strengthening of the European aviation competitiveness.
The project aims to validate a co-development approach towards design, manufacturing, assembly and quality control processes that are suitable for high-rate, sustainable aircraft production to TRL6 and a specific focus on industrial readiness and manufacturing. The project should demonstrate that the RFE is designed to meet a coherent set of requirements for the Clean Aviation Ultra-efficient SMR aircraft concept from the ACIandI (GA n. 101255025) project. The RFE will maximize the CO2 emissions reduction contribution at aircraft level by integrating technologies that focus on both weight and drag reduction matured and demonstrated at TRL6, coupled with advanced manufacturing techniques matured and demonstrated at TRL6.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
70%
The maximum EU contribution for the topic is €40.000.000
The Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking may award up to 1 project with funding depending on the outcome of the evaluation and the complementarity of the proposed actions.
The maximum EU contribution per project funded under this topic is €40.000.000
Proposals requesting an EU contribution above the maximum amount specified above will be declared non-eligible and will not be evaluated
A minimum of 15% of the total EU contribution shall be allocated per proposal to Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs) and/or Universities having a beneficiary status.
Proposals not meeting this condition will be declared non-eligible and will not be evaluated.
The condition should be met by involving entities under such a legal status in the meaning of Horizon Europe rules across EU Member States and countries associated to Horizon Europe.
Thematic Categories
- Industry
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
- Transport
Eligibility for Participation
- Businesses
- Educational Institutions
- Large Enterprises
- Legal Entities
- Other Beneficiaries
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
Eligibility For Participation Notes
A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.