Air Fuel and Battery Hybrid-power Helicopter
Product & Inventor
Marenco’s next-generation design of 3.5-ton Class utility helicopter, is a type series starting with M12 single turbine and M22 twin-turbine. The helicopter quip a unique powertrain: serial-coupled generator-to-battery energy buffer and then electric motor direct-drive. This is the first in the helicopter industry.
Martin Stucki’s practical new-energy approach enables higher performance, efficiency and safety, 10 years ahead its competitions. To his previous design of single-turbine 2.5-ton helicopter (SH09), the new M12/M22 is going to break the SH09 who was already a record-breaker in its design-to-product, type performance, function and efficiency. SH09’s legacy knowhow and experiences assure the new M12/M22’s engineering.
Since the previous SH09, Marenco Aviation has mastered aircraft design solutions in CAD, simulation, process tech, test bench, experiments, test fly, certification and supply chain… all are local in Pfäffikon (a district of Zurich City) and the nearby Mollis Airfield.
Development Track
| Phase Track | Capital Estimate | Description | Key Features | Accomplish |
| SH09 2011-2014 | CHF65M | Successful story from design to prototype to test fly | Single turbine engine 2.5-ton | Within 4 years |
| SH09 to AW09 2018 | USD180M | Invested & successful M&A by Leonardo Group, became AW09 | Made world’s top-3 of the class | 2022 M&A |
| Marenco M12 | CHF1M | Innovation: Hybrid-power helicopter concept & feasibility | Announced in HAI Heli-expo | 2022 New Type |
| Marenco M11/M22 | CHF1M | Simulation, specifications, system engineering; serializing single-engine & twin, pipelined with 70% shared designs | 3.5-ton, 10 passengers + cargo, 4.5km altitude w/ 1.2ton payload, 2-ton sling load | 2024 perform Again, world record |
| Prototype and Fly | USD40M | Again, a fast-pace dev. & delivery prototype in world industry | FAA certification, at Millos Airport, pre-sales | VC for 4 Year |
| Exit Window | Before certification, an early exit opportunity for venture capitalists | IPO, SPAC or M&A | VC Exit in 5th year | |
| Certifications Finish | USD200M | Continue carry on the Product-to-Market Phase | An international manufacture site | by 6th year |
| Production | USD100M | Assembly & supply chain: exponential production scale | Roll out of new products | Starting 7th year |
Innovation: What does Hybrid Powertrain Offer
Electric Motor Direct-Drive:
- Fly-by-wire extended to drivetrain, higher reliability & safety redundancy.
- DC motor with wide dynamic range for increased torque due to resistance, that offers more acceleration power and lift capacity; tolerant to overload.
- Simplified drivetrain, increased reliability, saved manufacture and maintenance costs. Quieter in takeoff and landing, meets noise limit of 65dB.
Electric Power Coupling/Buffer/Storage
- Boost additional power for take-off and landing, Reduce fuel consumption
- In case power interruption, allows continuing fly toward safe landing.
Combined effects
- Performance: actively improve fly stability, offering more power headroom against microclimates due to terrain and microclimate conditions.
- High energy efficiency, less emission, thrifty in manufacturing.
- Ready for upgrade energy buffer/storage, with better battery tech.
- Its fly envelop can downgrade overlapping eVTOL high-end expectations.
Supply Chain
- Swiss Manufacturing Network was developed and aircraft qualified since 2012. An Everyone-All-Swiss supply chain of Hidden Champions.
For Capitalists
- Who invest urban aerial mobility (UAM), intercity, for passengers, utility & EMS: let’s not wait for a delayed eVTOL ramp-up through next 10+ years (battery’s power density now still has 25+ folds of disadvantage toward conventional fuel). While Marenco’s practical bridge solutions is ready, with its innovative approach for fusion of hybrid-power helicopter and eVTOL.
Hybrid-power Helicopter, Facing Current Trend of Urban eVTOL’s Taking-off
- Energy Weight: battery’s power-density is 25 folds lower. Energy-density (KWh/kg): Li-Ion 0.4, Super Cap 0.5, Diesel 12, Jet Fuel 12, Hydrogen Fuel Cell 33.
- Structure Weight: doubled due to complicated mechanism, especially Tilt-rotor ones.
- Lift Capacity: concentrated on payload: the effective MTOW has been all eatten up by batteries.
- Marenco M12/M22 fills the gap: based on Aerodynamics and System Engineering, design retro-fit and forward-fit: hybrid power, battery-buffer, serial power-coupling, electric motor direct drive. No redesign when more qualified aviation batteries are made available, step-to-step toward total electric power.