OURANOS glider project wins "La Mayenne Innove" trophy

OURANOS, a glider retrofit project to eliminate CO2 emissions on take-off.

At ESTACA, students are particularly aware of the environmental issues surrounding transport. For the Flying West association, the search for alternative means of propulsion that pollute as little as possible leads to the following conclusion: the cleanest way to fly is still by natural propulsion, and that means gliding. With clean aeronautics in mind, the OURANOS project brings together a dozen students whose aim is to free themselves from the only source of CO2 emissions in glider flight, during the take-off phase. They are working on the installation of electric propulsion motors with retractable propellers in the wing to make the aircraft autonomous during take-off. In a move to reduce environmental impact, Flying West's motto is also: make something new out of something old. That's why they chose not to design a new product, but rather to retrofit a post-war French glider that is often neglected by French clubs. Through this project, the glider is given a second life as an attractive, innovative machine.

An innovative project recognized and rewarded by the Mayenne Innove trophy

The OURANOS project was in the running with 8 other projects for the Mayenne Innove trophies organized by Ouest-France, now in its 7th year. Facing the students was a demanding jury made up of Jean-Pierre Besnard, Head of Innovation and Startup Accelerator OFF7 for the Ouest-France group, Samia Soultani-Vigneron, Vice-President of the Pays de la Loire Regional Council in charge of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, and Guillaume Bouniol, Departmental Director of Ouest-France in Mayenne.

Won by OURANOS, the "Students Innovate" trophy recognizes the innovative nature of the project, and gives the students a high profile among local players and decision-makers. A well-deserved recognition.