Flying Magazine reports, “Swedish hybrid-electric aircraft manufacturer Heart Aerospace unveiled Wednesday a 30-seat demonstrator dubbed Heart Experimental 1, or Heart X1. The aircraft—the company’s first full-scale demonstrator of its ES-30 aircraft under development—will serve as a testing platform and marks a ‘major milestone’ for development of the regional airplane set to make its fully electric first flight in the second quarter of next year, the company said.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Tag: Heart Aerospace
Heart Aerospace Unveils Redesigned Hybrid Propulsion System
Aviation Week Network reports, “Heart Aerospace has announced a redesigned hybrid propulsion system built around off-the-shelf turboprops and electric motors, as well as a series of related design changes to its planned 30-seat ES-30 regional aircraft. The redesigned propulsion system, referred to by the company as an ‘independent hybrid propulsion system,’ features a turboprop engine on the outboard of the wing beside an electric motor system placed inboard.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
United Airlines Aiming to Fly Electric Planes by 2030
CNBC reports that as United Airlines aims for net zero by 2050, it looks to fly electric planes on regional routes by 2030. The battery-powered aircraft are under development by “Swedish start-up Heart Aerospace,” and United ordered 100 of them in 2021 as well as making an undisclosed investment in the company. United Airlines Ventures President Mike Leskinen said, “We cannot continue doing and operating our business the way we do; it is imperative that we change it, and the way we’re going to change it is through investing in technology. Existing technology is going to either cause us to fly less, which is an unacceptable alternative, or continue with a carbon footprint, which we believe is equally unacceptable.”
Full Story (CNBC)
Battery-Powered Aircraft May be the Future of Aviation
The Washington Post reports on electric aircraft. Several airlines including United, Mesa and Air Canada “have started putting orders in for a battery-operated aircraft called the Heart Aerospace ES-30. The Swedish-made four-propeller, battery-powered plane seats up to 30 people and could fly short-haul routes such as Palm Springs to Los Angeles or Denver to Aspen without emitting any carbon. It’s slated to be in the air by 2028.” However, battery technology is an ongoing issue standing in the way of the viability of battery-operated aircraft.
Full Story (Washington Post)