Hungary's Magnus Aircraft is constructing a new manufacturing plant in southern Hungary near the regional Pecs-Pogany airport to meet rising demand for its unique aircraft and plans to finish building a new plant by August, it was announced on May 30.

At the topping out ceremony, CEO Laszlo Boros said the construction of the manufacturing plant will be completed from a HUF5.2bn (€15.5mn) investment creating 105 new jobs. The Hungarian government supported the project with a HUF2bn subsidy. 

In the first phase, a 2,000 m2 assembly plant will be built and in the second stage a 5,000 m2 plant for making composite materials. 

Magnus Aircraft, established in 2011, specialises in the design of small sport and training aircraft. In 2015 it was the first company in the world to develop a two-seat aircraft made from composite materials and capable of aerobatics; called Fusion 212, it runs on motor fuel and not kerosine, which reduces maintenance costs. 

The main consideration during the development of the Fusion product line was the introduction of sports aircraft that were environmentally friendly, fuel-efficient, safe, and would allow thousands of novice pilots to gain introductory flight experience, the company said.  

The company received numerous awards at the AERO 2016 international aviation expo, which helped its expansion drive. It established a subsidiary in the US in 2016, and factories and assembly plants are also under construction in China and Russia.  

The eFusion is the world’s first electric, two-seater, basic aerobatic sport and training aircraft. The fully-electric aircraft was developed in collaboration with specialists at Siemens, which contributed to developing a fully electric drive system and the battery. 

The all-electric Magnus eFusion aeroplane made its maiden flight near the Hungarian town of Kecskemet two years ago. 

Industry experts claim the electric aircraft has the potential to be used for pilot training at the fraction of the cost of other aircraft. "Magnus gave eFusion aerobatic capability, so it can serve for upset recovery training for airliner pilots," the company's CEO claimed.