Development and manufacturing of certified electric propulsion systems and battery systems for aircraft as well as the Antares electric glider series
Lange Aviation GmbH
Zweibrücken (Zweibrücken Airfield) · DENew on Amplifa
About Lange Aviation
Lange Aviation GmbH, based at Zweibrücken Airfield, develops and produces certified electric propulsion systems, battery systems, propulsion control units and chargers for aircraft up to 7.8 tonnes gross weight or 18 seats as well as for eVTOLs. Under the Antares brand, the company also manufactures fully electric, self-launching high-performance gliders; since 2004 more than 100 units have been delivered with around 180,000 electric flight hours. Manufacturing includes fibre composite technology (CFRP) for fuselages and wings as well as the integration of lithium-ion battery systems of the Antares.RED.3 generation in 21700 cell format. On behalf of DLR, the Antares DLR-H2 became the first manned aircraft with pure hydrogen propulsion (fuel cells and pressure tank). The EA42 propulsion unit received the world's first EASA type certification of an electric motor according to aviation standards with Design Assurance Level C in 2006. Customers come from aerospace, gliding, eVTOL development and civil remote sensing.
- Site
- Zweibrücken
- Processes
- Fibre composite technology / composite manufacturing (aircraft construction, wings, fuselages), Development and manufacturing of electric propulsion systems (electric motors, inverters,, Manufacturing and integration of battery systems (Antares.RED.3, 21700 cell format), Propulsion solutions for aircraft up to 7.8 tonnes gross weight or 18 seats as well as eVTOLs, Development of customized electric propulsion solutions, Certified electric propulsion and battery systems, Propulsion control units and chargers, Over-the-air update capability
- Materials
- Lithium-ion propulsion battery, 21700 battery cells, Metal-hydride batteries, Hydrogen (pressure tank, fuel cells), Fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP), Lithium-Ion Propulsion Battery (Antares.RED.3), 21700 Battery Cells, Hydrogen (Pressure Tank, Fuel Cells)
- Certificates
- EASA type certification electric propulsion system EA42, EASA Type Certification EA42 (DAL C), ISO 9001
- Founded
- 1996
- Employees
- 42
- Industries
- Aerospace, Gliding/Motor glider, eVTOL, civil remote sensing/surveillance
- 01
Engineering & Design
- 02
Fibre Composite Manufacturing (CFRP fuselages, wings)
- 03
Manufacturing of Electric Motors, Inverters, Control Units, Chargers
- 04
Battery System Integration (Antares.RED.3, 21700 cell format)
- 05
System Integration & Certification
- 06
Assembly & Delivery
- 07
Over-The-Air Update Services
Materials & Processes
Lithium-Ion Propulsion Battery (Antares.RED.3)
Battery system in 21700 cell format with system components from the automotive industry for aircraft and eVTOLs.
21700 Battery Cells
Standardized cell format of the propulsion battery systems.
Hydrogen (Pressure Tank, Fuel Cells)
Energy source for manned and unmanned fuel cell aircraft such as the Antares DLR-H2 and E2.
Fibre-Reinforced Plastic (CFRP)
Material for fuselages and wings of the Antares aircraft series.
Metal-Hydride Batteries
Energy storage of the LF-20E test vehicle used for qualification of the electric propulsion system.
Sites
Zweibrücken
DEHeadquarters, development and production (Zweibrücken Airfield)
- Materials
- CFRP, lithium-ion batteries, hydrogen technology
- Manufacturing and fabrication facility for aircraft and propulsion systems
- Battery system integration
- Assembly halls at the airfield
Components & Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fibre composite technology / composite manufacturing (aircraft construction, wings, fuselages)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP, implied) |
| Development and manufacturing of electric propulsion systems (electric motors, inverters,Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Manufacturing and integration of battery systems (Antares.RED.3, 21700 cell format)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Lithium-ion cells (21700) |
| Propulsion solutions for aircraft up to 7.8 tonnes gross weight or 18 seats as well as eVTOLsEngineering | – | – | 7.8 tonnes | – | – |
1 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing/fabrication site for aircraft and propulsion systems | – | – | – | – | Brüsseler Straße 30, 66482 Zweibrücken, Germany |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality & Certification
Quality assurance according to the rules of large aviation with multiple redundancy; the EA42 propulsion system is certified according to aviation standards ED-79, DO-178C and DO-254 with Design Assurance Level C.
| Evidence | Zweibrücken |
|---|---|
| EASA Type Certification EA42 (DAL C) | |
| ISO 9001 |
Company History
- 1995
Patent application in April 1995 (granted 1998) for electric propulsion with battery system integrated into the wings; application for type certification of the E1-Antares on 30.12.1995
- 1996
Founded as Lange Flugzeugbau GmbH by Axel Lange in Zweibrücken
- 1999
First flight of the Lange LF-20E test vehicle with electric propulsion on 7 May
- 2003
First flight of the Antares 20E, the first series-produced electric aircraft with lithium-ion battery
- 2004
Delivery of the first customer aircraft of the Antares
- 2006
EASA certificate for the Antares E1 series; first flight of the Antares 18S; world's first EASA type certification of an electric motor (EA42)
- 2007
Insolvency of Lange Flugzeugbau GmbH; acquisition by Lange Faserverbundtechnik GmbH
- 2008
Renamed Lange Aviation GmbH
- 2009
First manned hydrogen flight of the Antares DLR-H2; altitude world record; spin-off of Lange Research Aircraft GmbH
- 2010
Distance record Zweibrücken–Hof–ILA Berlin with the Antares DLR-H2
- 2011
First flight of the Antares 23E on 23 December
- 2012
Sale of the Antares DLR-H2 to DLR
- 2018
Presentation of the Antares E2 at the Aero; focus on propulsion components
- 2021
Introduction of the Antares 21E with Antares.RED.3 battery system (60 percent more battery power, climb altitudes up to 5,600 m)
- 2022
Over 100 aircraft delivered since 2004, around 180,000 electric flight hours
- 2024
Planned commissioning of the Flying Lab, a six-motor research platform