World's largest electric battery-powered aircraft completes first flight
A maiden flight from the world's largest electric battery-powered aircraft was completed at Plattsburgh International Airport in New York on Aug. 12. The energy consumed during the test flight only cost about US$5.
With the popularity of electric vehicles, it was only a matter of time before air travel started taking that environmentally cleaner route.
With that in mind, Heart Aerospace took its X1 demonstrator aircraft into its first flight on Wednesday, Aug. 12. The airplane is powered by electric batteries, the world's largest jet of its kind.
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The electric battery-powered air trek took place at the company's X1 test base at the Plattsburgh International Airport in New York. The flight lasted 27 minutes, a trek that saw X1 hit an altitude of 1,100 feet (335 metres) above ground level, according to Heart Aerospace.
During its successful journey, the plane's all-electric propulsion system delivered more than one megawatt of power. The energy consumed during the test only cost about US$5.
(Heart Aerospace/Submitted)
“With the first flight of X1, Heart Aerospace has demonstrated electric flight at the scale of a commercial airliner,” said Anders Forslund, founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace, in a news release.
“Electric commercial aircraft have the potential to fundamentally reshape airline economics and, ultimately, lower the cost of air travel for passengers. This is at the heart of our vision for abundant air travel, with electrification enabling more affordable, frequent, and cleaner air service to and from airports closer to home.”
The X1 plane has a total length of 106 feet (32.3 metres), measuring 76 feet nose to tail (23.1 metres). It had a weight of more than 25,000 pounds at takeoff.
(Heart Aerospace/Submitted)
Heart Aerospace said the goal of the flight was to demonstrate an all-electric flight on a scale comparative to commercial airline operations.
The company said the inaugural test flight occurred at a time when global jet fuel prices are high, shining a spotlight on the potential for electric propulsion to "deliver structurally lower aircraft operating costs while decoupling airlines from the volatility of global oil markets."
“The energy transition for aviation will require a range of solutions, from operational efficiencies to sustainable aviation fuels and, ultimately, the development of new aircraft technologies,” said John Di Bert, executive vice-president and CFO of Air Canada, in the news release.
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Thumbnail courtesy of Heart Aerospace.
