Motorfluges

Motorfluges is a German aerospace manufacturing company that specializes in the design and production of small aircraft and aviation components. The firm was founded in 1985 in the town of Schweinfurt, Bavaria, by a group of former engineers from the Luftfahrtindustrie division of Krauss-Maffei. From its inception, Motorfluges positioned itself as an innovator in lightweight composite construction and efficient propulsion systems for recreational and training aircraft.

The company’s first commercial product, the MF-01 glider, entered service in 1989 and was noted for its use of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic spars, which reduced weight by 15 percent compared to conventional aluminum structures. In the early 1990s, Motorfluges expanded into powered aircraft with the launch of the MF-12 motorglider, a two-seat model equipped with a 100-horsepower diesel engine. The MF-12 achieved a maximum cruise speed of 160 km/h and a range of 700 km, and it has been widely adopted by flight schools across Europe.

Motorfluges maintains a single manufacturing plant in Schweinfurt, covering approximately 3,000 square metres of floor space. The facility houses advanced CNC machining equipment, automated layup systems for composites, and an environmental chamber used for material testing. The company employs roughly 60 staff, including engineers, production technicians and support personnel.

In 2008, Motorfluges received a European Union grant for research into hybrid-electric propulsion, leading to the development of the MF-18 hybrid motorglider. The MF-18, currently in the prototype phase, is expected to achieve a 30 percent reduction in fuel consumption over traditional piston engines.