Propulsion-electric

What is the optimal size for a battery-electric aircraft? It depends on who you ask.

Collaborative combat R66; NASA open-fan demo; quantum heads to the field; and Sora’s subscale eVTOL bus.

VoltAero founder Jean Botti was betting on a hybrid-electric layout for redundancy and quieter operations near airports, not for decarbonization.

Dutch startup Conscious Aerospace believes retrofitting existing regional aircraft offers the most practical path to bringing hydrogen-electric propulsion into commercial service.

Vaeridion advocates for full electric propulsion, contending that it offers a more manageable technical and regulatory path than hybrid-electric.

Near-VTOL maritime stroke UAS; fully superconducting electric motor for aircraft; lithium-air battery advances.

A U.S. startup has secured funding to begin scaling up a battery chemistry that promises to enable a three-four times improvement in drone performance.

Strathclyde demonstrates a 100-kW superconducting motor and works with Airbus to develop a megawatt-level prototype for future aircraft propulsion.

German aircraft manufacturer MD Aircraft is advancing development of a nine-passenger electric regional aircraft designed around swappable batteries.

Bye Aerospace is entering the final stages of preparation for the first flight of its eFlyer 2 all-electric training aircraft.

Three aircraft developers reveal different approaches to battery-electric flight from trainers to regional transports.

Public charter operator JSX helped demo Electra’s hybrid-electric ultra short and might buy Electra’s EL9.

Vaeridion reports battery suppliers exceeding performance targets for electric aircraft, boosting Microliner development prospects.

For its nine-seat, all-electric Microliner, Vaeridion has successfully completed the preliminary design review.

The Helios Horizon stratospheric electric aircraft has flown powered by solid-state batteries, believed to be the first piloted flight using the fast-charging, energy-dense battery tech.

Hybrid-electric regional aircraft developer Heart Aerospace has begun taxi tests of its full-scale piloted flight demonstrator, the X1.

Honda eVTOL flies; helping to avoid contrails; bio-based carbon fiber advances; Korea’s engine independence bid; and Airbus’ Canadian tech hub.

Electra CEO Marc Allen talks with Karen Walker about the new EL9 hybrid-electric aircraft.

German electric aircraft startup Vaeridion has started producing battery packs at its new facility in Oberpfaffenhofen.

Electric seaplane family plan; battery team for hybrid regional; U.S. quantum computing boost; and folding-wing eVTOL UAS.

Taiwanese battery maker Molicel plans to cooperate with Canadian startup Evio Aircraft, which intends to develop a 76-seat, hybrid-electric regional airliner.

The Norwegian startup developing the Noemi electric flying boat is targeting first flight of a prototype by the end of 2027.

Laminar-flow business jet; hybrid-electric tiltwing; Solar Impulse 2 lost; and jet fuel from ethanol.

Scaled Composites built the flying-wing UAS under a DARPA project to demonstrate hybrid propulsion.

The latest flights advance United Therapeutics’ hydrogen-electric helicopter program beyond hover testing into more complex flight operations.