Heart Aerospace has announced that it has completed the successful first flight of its X1 full scale hybrid-electric demonstrator.
The aircraft took off from Plattsburgh International Airport (PBG) in upstate New York, for an initial flight that lasted 27 minutes. During the flight, it reached an altitude of 1,100 feet (335 meters).
The company shared a video of the flight on its website and social media channels:
While the X1 prototype is entirely powered by a battery-electric system, which delivered more than one megawatt of power during its initial flight, it serves as a test bank for the ES-30 airliner, which will also feature a thermal engine for extended range and payload.
The completion of this flight is a major milestone not just for Heart Aerospace, but also for the broader electric aviation industry. With a wingspan of 106 feet and weighing more than 25,000 pounds at takeoff, the X1 is also the largest battery-electric aircraft to fly to date.
Against a background of high fuel prices, Heart Aerospace highlighted in its press release that the X1 had consumed just $5 worth of electric power during the flight.
The flight was also closely observed by some of Heart Aerospace’s future costumers and investors, such as United Airlines, whose Chief Financial Officer, Michael Leskinen, stated: “The first flight of X1 is a major technical achievement for Heart Aerospace, a company United has been proud to support.”
Leskinen continued: “Electric commercial aircraft have real potential to deliver a better travel experience for passengers while strengthening our business, and we look forward to Heart’s continued development of the ES-30 and its potential future role in United’s network.”
The US carrier was an early investor in Heart Aerospace through its venture capital arm, United Airlines Ventures, and has also made a pre-commitment for 100 ES-30 aircraft.
The X1 flight test program will be followed by a pre-production ES-30 which is being built at a pilot manufacturing plant in Los Angeles. Flight tests for this aircraft are set to begin in 2028.
Heart Aerospace is targeting 2031 for entry into service, although, as is common with new aircraft development projects, the program has slipped past its initial development time-frame targets on several occasions.