In what magniX says is an unprecedented achievement for an electric engine, the company powering the electric aviation revolution, as it announces a historic milestone in completing testing of its magni650 electric propulsion unit (EPU) at NASA’s Electric Aircraft Testbed (NEAT) in Sandusky, Ohio.
Under the NASA’s Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) project, GE Aerospace and magniX are developing their powertrains, being seen as the future of commercial aviation propulsion for medium-haul, single-aisle aircraft.
The magni650 has now successfully performed at an altitude of 30,000 feet at a maximum continuous power of 700 kilowatts (kw), which is considered to be significant achievement for an electric engine.
This development of magniX’s EPU under simulated flight conditions at altitude demonstrates its readiness for the flight test phase of NASA’s Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) project and moves it closer to the world’s first electric engine certification.
NASA hopes that one day the technology should serve about half of the commercial market through short- to medium-haul single-aisle aircraft.
Ben Loxton, magniX VP of Technical Programs, said: “The NEAT test campaign has moved us closer to the world’s first certification of an electric powertrain for aviation.
“The work we are doing with NASA in the EPFD project will enable the electrification of regional commercial aviation in pure electric on short routes, and hybridization on longer routes – significant steps toward the decarbonization of aerospace.”
In the next stage of EPFD, one of the four turbine engines on magniX’s De Havilland Dash 7 test aircraft will be replaced with a magni650 electric powertrain, with test flights planned for 2026.
The final stage of the test program will see a second turbine engine substituted with another magniX powertrain. This configuration is expected to reduce fuel consumption by up to 40% on a typical flight. Through the data collected, this will bring the electrification of large-scale commercial aircraft closer to entry-into-service by the end of the decade.
With an unmatched record of powering first flights on five different aircraft, magniX is leading the advancement of electric aviation. Having launched its Samson batteries earlier in 2024, with unmatched energy density and cycle-life, magniX provides a full electric powertrain solution with a clear pathway to entry-into-service.
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