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.

Heart X1 will initially be deployed for ground-based testing, including taxiing, turnaround procedures, and charging operations, the company said. 

• READ MORE: Electric Airplane Manufacturer Heart Aerospace Taps Honeywell for Flight Control System

The aircraft, which boasts a 32-meter (105-feet) wingspan, will produce less emissions and noise pollution and be cheaper to operate in comparison to conventionally fueled regional aircraft, according to the company.

“Our industry is approaching a 30-year innovation cycle, and we have less than 25 years to decarbonize aviation,” Anders Forslund, co-founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace, said in a statement. “It is a testament to the ingenuity and dedication of our team that we’re able to roll out a 30-seat aircraft demonstrator with a brand-new propulsion system, largely in-house, in less than two years. “

• READ MORE: Heart Aerospace Gets LOI for Electric Regional Airliner Fleet

Earlier this year, Heart Aerospace announced it had raised $107 million in a series B round, which was earmarked for ES-30 type certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency. It also received a $4.1 million grant from the FAA’s Fueling Aviation’s Sustainable Transition (FAST) program in August for development of the aircraft’s hybrid-election propulsion management system.

The post Heart Aerospace Unveils Full-Scale Demonstrator appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Heart Aerospace, maker of the 30-seat, hybrid-electric ES-30 regional airplane, this week raised $107 million in a series B round, bringing the company’s total funding raised to date to $145 million. The money will go toward type certification for the ES-30 under the European Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) CS-25 large aeroplanes category, expected in 2028.

Compared to conventionally fueled airplanes on short-haul routes, the design will lower emissions, noise pollution, and, most importantly, operating costs, Heart Aerospace claims.

“Billions of people around the world are looking to be connected to this amazing infrastructure over the next decade,” said Anders Forslund, co-founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace. “Meanwhile, the industry has committed to net-zero emissions by 2050. The only way forward is to decouple the tremendous growth in aviation from its emissions, and we believe ES-30 is the first stepping stone.”

In its fully electric, zero-emissions configuration, in which the batteries power four electric motors, the ES-30 has a range of about 124 sm (108 nm). But the aircraft can also be flown in reserve-hybrid configuration, using a pair of turbogenerators running on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). This doubles the model’s range to 248 sm (215 nm). But it actually maxes out at about 497 sm (432 nm) with a slightly reduced load of 25 passengers.

Reserve-hybrid mode can also be used during cruise on longer flights, complementing the electrical power supplied by the batteries. As Heart’s battery technology matures, the ES-30’s range in all-electric mode is expected to increase, while battery maintenance and electricity costs go down.

At launch, the ES-30 will not produce emissions around airports or on routes up to 124 sm (108 nm). As battery technology improves, though, so too will zero-emissions range. Eventually, the company claims, it will cut emissions per seat in half compared to 50-seat turboprops on longer sectors, or by 90 percent if SAF is used.

In fact, Heart promises fuel costs, maintenance costs, and operating costs per seat comparable to a 50-seat turboprop, but with significant per-trip improvements. At the same time, the aircraft’s electric motors keep noise to a minimum during takeoff and landing.

“Moreover, because of the superior economics of electric aircraft over their fossil-fuel counterparts, the ES-30 will bring back service to communities that have lost connectivity and open many new markets,” said Forslund.

The ES-30 is the only clean-sheet, hybrid-electric airplane of its size possessing active type certification applications with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Heart expects to unveil a full-scale demonstrator this year. But first it will use this week’s cash injection to develop the aircraft’s hybrid-electric powertrain.

Sagitta Ventures, a Danish investor focused on early stage firms, is among the new investors in the series B, which included Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures, EQT Ventures, and Y Combinator. Customers and previous investors United Airlines Ventures and Air Canada also participated in the round, with the latter providing $5 million.

Further, Ted Persson, partner at EQT Ventures, will join Heart’s board of investors.

“As someone said, the Stone Age didn’t end because we ran out of stones, and the fossil fuel age won’t end because we [ran] out of fossil fuels,” said Persson. “Heart Aerospace is taking decarbonization to the skies, and we’re proud to be funding technology that will fundamentally change the aviation industry.”

Heart has approximately 250 firm orders for the ES-30 to go along with options and purchase rights for 120 aircraft, as well as letters of intent for 191 more. Thirty of those belong to Air Canada. The bulk, though, come from United and Mesa Airlines, a subsidiary which will help the airline introduce electric aircraft. A conditional agreement in 2021 calls for each to acquire 100 aircraft.

“United’s goal of net-zero emissions requires bold solutions, and that’s why we’ve invested in a broad portfolio of low-carbon technologies including hybrid-electric aircraft,” said Andrew Chang, managing director of United Airlines Ventures. “Once operational, we believe Heart’s ES-30 aircraft have the potential to reduce our carbon footprint, while serving regional markets across the country.”

Recently, Heart was also part of a massive order from JSX, the largest Part 135/Part 380 charter operator in the U.S. JSX committed to 50 firm ES-30 orders and 50 options, part of a spending spree for as many as 332 hybrid-electric models.

The manufacturer’s 2028 launch target mirrors the FAA’s timeline for initial advanced air mobility (AAM) air taxi services in the U.S. That year, several manufacturers are expected to fly their air taxis at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, and operations are projected to reach scale in major cities. United is also working with air taxi manufacturer Archer Aviation, so Heart’s ES-30 won’t be the only electric aircraft in its fleet.

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The post Hybrid-Electric Airplane Manufacturer Heart Aerospace Raises $107M appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Established Portuguese regional carrier and wet-lease contractor Sevenair signed a letter of intent with the Swedish OEM at the Portugal Air Summit last week to reserve three of the ES-30s, with an option to buy three more.

With its capacity for up to 30 passengers and projected range of 200 km, the aircraft is considered ideal to test within Portugal’s existing route structure. Also, the country is pushing towards adoption of sustainable and renewable energy sources across most sectors already, with much of the country’s electricity generation supported by renewables like wind, hydro, and solar.

Sustainable Leadership

Sevenair already operates a trunk service within Portugal, with seven routes that will be well within the ES-30’s proposed range. Heart has now accepted a total of 230 orders and with 100 options for the ES-30, which it expects to begin delivering in 2028 and operational by the end of the decade.

• READ MORE: Will a Larger Airframe Help Heart’s Electric Airplane Become a Reality?

“With the ES-30, we have designed an airplane that can start cutting emissions from regional air travel before the end of this decade and it is progressive airlines such as Sevenair that make it a reality. We couldn’t be happier to have them as a partner, ” said Anders Forslund, CEO of Heart Aerospace, in a press release.

Sevenair chief commercial officer Alexandre Alves elaborated on the plans to expand in a sustainable way in a statement to FLYING. “For Sevenair this commitment with Heart shows our will of being an active part of those who are willing to take the necessary steps to change the industry,” Alves said. “We not only signed this LOI, but we have been invited to be members of the advisory board—and with our experience as regional operators help the technical development and implementation of the project.”

“Heart Aerospace presented itself to us as a start-up company that combined a strong financial backup with an experienced team and strong industry partners,” said Carlos Amaro, chief executive officer of Sevenair. “As members of the Airline Advisory Board we are proud to assist this amazing group in the development of an aircraft that will completely disrupt regional flights.”

“We don’t hide that we would very much like to be the first airline to operate an electric aircraft as we think our operation and our country are perfect as case study,” added Alves in his statement.

• READ MORE: Heart Aerospace Picks Garmin G3000 for Its Electric Regional Airliner

The post Heart Aerospace Gets LOI for Electric Regional Airliner Fleet appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Heart announced Thursday it will abandon previous plans to develop its ES-19 in favor of a larger, battery-powered electric regional aircraft design called the ES-30, which incorporates a non-electric power source for reserve range— two turbogenerators that burn sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

“The 19-seat version was an interesting experiment, but 19-seat planes have absolutely zero relevance in the airline industry,” said aviation industry analyst Richard Aboulafia, a managing director at AeroDynamic Advisory, a boutique aerospace and defense management consultancy. 

Heart CEO Anders Forslund put it somewhat bluntly in a press release: “The ES-30 is an electric airplane that the industry can actually use.”

Today we agreed to purchase 30 ES-30 electric-hybrid aircraft from @heartaerospace, a step toward our goal of net zero emissions by 2050. These regional aircraft will seat up to 30 passengers & fly quietly with zero emissions when on battery power.

More: https://t.co/1JeRJyHXwZ pic.twitter.com/JR1J5MqKcf

— Air Canada (@AirCanada) September 15, 2022

It also doesn’t hurt Heart’s prospects that Air Canada and Saab have signed on to the ES-30. Thursday’s announcement included the news that Canada’s flagship carrier has provisionally agreed to buy 30 ES-30s. Saab, well-known for its background in military aviation and automobile production, was founded in Sweden and has roots stretching back to the early days of powered flight. Each company has agreed to invest $5 million to develop ES-30. 

Aboulafia said the two familiar brands represent a “solid endorsement,” but “It’s hard to tell what’s for advertising these days and what’s a real investment for the future.”

• READ MORE: Heart Aerospace Picks Garmin G3000 for Its Electric Regional Airliner

Heart and other aircraft developers are a part of the worldwide push throughout the aviation industry to find environmentally friendlier propulsion systems. 

Globally, civil aviation produces about 2.1 percent of all human-induced CO2 emissions, according to the Air Transport Action Group. Government and airline initiatives aimed at reaching net-zero emissions are helping to drive development of electric and hybrid electric platforms. 

RELEASE: Saab Partners with Swedish Electric Aircraft Company Heart Aerospacehttps://t.co/cSpSZwkJym

— Saab (@Saab) September 15, 2022

‘It’s Hard To Know’

Under electric power, the ES-30 is expected to offer a range of 200 km (108 nm), and with the SAF-burning reserve, an extended range of 400 km (216 nm) with 30 passengers, Heart said. With 25 passengers, range expectations increase to up to 800 km (432 nm).

“The reserve-hybrid system is installed to secure reserve energy requirements without cannibalizing battery range,” Heart said. “It can also be used during cruise on longer flights to complement the electrical power provided by the batteries.”

Aboulafia said he has “always been more comfortable with hybrids than I have with batteries. You have to carry an awful lot of battery by weight in order to go anywhere, with anything on board. Hybrid always offers a better way forward.”

But a big question surrounding the ES-30’s propulsion system “is whether all of this onboard equipment pays its way in terms of real estate.” As Aboulafia put it, “Without detailed technical assessments, it’s hard to know.”

Orders for Heart’s previously planned electric airliner—ES-19—including those from United Airlines and Mesa Air Group, have been reconfirmed for the ES-30, Heart said. Those orders amounted to 200 aircraft purchases with options for an additional 100. Also, Heart said “many” potential customers who had signed letters of intent (LOIs) for the ES-19 have updated those LOIs to reflect the ES-30.

“In total, Heart Aerospace has LOIs for 96 ES-30s,” the company said. 

Heart’s surprise redesign brings to mind Boom Aerospace’s unveiling in July of a new design for its Overture supersonic passenger jet.

Heart’s redesign “appears to have some actual science behind it, whereas Boom’s appears to just be a playful session of freehand drawing,” Aboulafia quipped. The announcement had a “complete lack of explanation for why Boom was moving to a four-jet configuration without any reference to engines whatsoever.”

• READ MORE: Boom Unveils Redesign of Its Supersonic Airliner 

Last year, Heart said the smaller ES-19 was expected to make its first flight in 2024, and enter service in 2026, pending certification. 

Now, as Heart moves forward with its larger design, the company said it expects the ES-30 to enter service in 2028.

The post Will a Larger Airframe Help Heart’s Electric Airplane Become a Reality? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.