Until now, flying an airplane was considered to cost thousands of liters of fuel. But now this picture is changing. Aerospace X1, a large all-electric test aircraft developed by American startup Heart Aerospace, has completed its first successful test flight. The test flight of this aircraft, which took off from New York’s Plattsburgh International Airport on August 12, has drawn attention to the new possibilities of future electric aviation.

27 minute flight, electricity cost only ₹480

The Aerospace X1 reached an altitude of about 1,100 feet during the test flight and successfully remained in the air for 27 minutes. The plane then made a safe landing. According to the company, its electric powertrain generated more than 1 megawatt of power during this test. The most talked about thing is that the cost of electricity used during the entire flight was about 5 dollars i.e. about 480 rupees. However, this figure represents the cost of electricity used during the test flight and cannot be compared to the total operating cost of a regular commercial flight.

Larger in size is the Aerospace X1

Aerospace X1 is not just a small experimental aircraft. Its wing span is 32.3 meters or about 106 feet. While its length is 23.2 meters and height is 7.3 meters. Its take-off weight is more than 11340 kg. This size and electric powertrain make the aircraft an important testing platform for the development of electric aviation technology.

A major change could be coming to the airline industry

Heart Aerospace is now working on a 30-passenger hybrid-electric aircraft called the ES-30. The company claims that this technology can help regional airlines reduce operating costs by more than 40 percent. The ES-30 is planned to fly about 804 kilometers with a fully charged battery and a full fuel tank. Its target range in electric-only mode is around 201 km. According to the company, the ability to charge its battery in around 30 minutes is also being developed.

X1 test platform, looking at ES-30

Aerospace X1 is not a passenger aircraft. But the ES-30 is a platform designed to test the technology needed. This testing was done under the supervision of the American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). According to the company’s CEO Anders Forslund, the goal is to start production testing of the hybrid flight by 2028 and receive type certification by 2031. If the plan is successful, the use of electric and hybrid technologies instead of fuel in short-haul air travel could significantly increase in the future.