• 17 Mar 2025 02:29 AM
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Electric CTOL/STOL News for Mar/Apr 2025

Here’s our roundup of recent news on battery-electric, hybrid-electric and hydrogen-electric conventional takeoff and landing (eCTOL) and short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft for advanced air mobility (AAM) applications. (Note: All photos are courtesy of the respective companies unless otherwise stated.)

Textron Ships Grand Caravans to Surf Air

On Dec. 5, Surf Air Mobility announced that it had received four of the 20 Cessna Grand Caravan EX turboprop aircraft it ordered from Textron Aviation. Surf Air, which owns Floridabased Southern Airways Express, will fly these turboprops on its network while developing its fully electric EP1 powertrain to upgrade those aircraft in partnership with magniX, Textron and AeroTEC. Surf aims to certificate the EP1 with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In March 2024, the regional mobility company added one year to its timeline and set 2027 as its target date for certification (see “Electric CTOL/STOL News,” Vertiflite, July/Aug 2024). Surf disclosed in a quarterly report on Nov. 21 a $50M loan and a four-phase “transformation plan” to return its operations to profitability. Surf aims to also operate Electra’s planned eSTOL aircraft on its network.

First Canadian Student Pilot Electric Solo

On Dec. 18, Sealand Flight celebrated the first solo flight of a student pilot in an electric aircraft in Canada (Sealand photo). The flight school in Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada, began commercial training flights using the Pipistrel Velis Electro in June. Eighteen-year-old Catherine Check, after about 10 hours of training experience, became Canada’s first-ever student pilot to fly solo in an electric airplane. Three Velis Electro trainers are now in Canada to gather data for Transport Canada (see “Canadian AAM Update,” www.eVTOL. news, December 2022). Note that in March 2024, commercial electric flight training also began in the US, after the US FAA granted a light sport aircraft (LSA) airworthiness exemption for the Velis Electro. Pipistrel is based in Slovenia but owned by US-based Textron eAviation.

Vaeridion Raises Funds for Electric Airliner

German startup Vaeridion announced on Dec. 19 that it had raised €14M ($14.4M) through Series A equity financing to develop its fully electric Microliner passenger plane concept (shown) and “to make key hires.” The company, founded in 2021 by former Airbus executives Dr. Sebastian Seemann and Ivor van Dartel, aims to begin certification flights with a prototype by 2027. Vaeridion’s goal is to launch regional flights with its plane designed to carry nine passengers by 2030, which it expects “will be available for the price of a first-class, high-speed rail ticket at commercial launch.” The company in November completed a pre-application contract for certification with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

China Certificates LGAA RX4E Aircraft

On Dec. 29, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) granted a type certification to the four-seat Rhyxeon RX4E electric passenger plane developed by Liaoning General Aviation Academy (LGAA) of Shenyang Aerospace University. The certificate marks the four-seater RX4E as the world’s first electric aircraft to secure a type certificate as a normal category aircraft, which was granted under China’s CCAR-23 airworthiness regulations. State media stated that the certificate clears the way to begin mass production of RX4E aircraft and for commercial flights. LGAA is also developing a hydrogen-powered version of the RX4E.

Heart Aerospace Preps for US Tests

Heart Aerospace posted on social media on Jan. 15 that it had shipped its Heart X1 battery-powered demonstrator aircraft (shown) to its test flight location at Plattsburgh International Airport (the same site where Beta Technologies tested its aircraft), in Plattsburgh, New York. Heart also posted a video of engineers testing its electric engine at the SEEL Swedish Electric Transport Laboratory on Dec. 2, 2024. The company, headquartered in Sweden, aims to begin test flights of its Heart X1 (N301HX) in “early 2025” (see “Electric CTOL/STOL News,” Vertiflite, Nov/Dec 2024). The developer hopes to secure type certification of its ES-30 regional aircraft with EASA by 2028.

Electra Signs MoU to Plan India Routes

Electra Aero signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Jan. 22 for India-based Hunch Mobility to operate Electra’s hybrid-electric eSTOL aircraft on flights in that nation through Hunch’s partner Blade Air Mobility. The Manassas, Virginia-based company announced this MoU during the 2025 India Urban Air Mobility Expo. In November, Electra unveiled the design of its nine-passenger EL9 eSTOL production model aircraft (shown) that it aims to market for cargo, passenger and tactical flights.

ZeroAvia Gains EPS Certification Basis From FAA

On Feb. 3, ZeroAvia announced it had reached consensus with the FAA on the certification basis for the 600-kW electric propulsion system (EPS) of its initial ZA600 hydrogen-electric powertrain. That agreement detailed in the G-1 issue paper (stage 2) received from the FAA specified the airworthiness regulations that ZeroAvia could use to validate design requirements for its EPS. The company is also coordinating with the UK Civil Aviation Authority to certificate its complete ZA600 powertrain, which the developer flight tested in January 2023 aboard a Dornier 228 aircraft (see “Electric CTOL/STOL News,” Vertiflite, March/April 2023). ZeroAvia stated that it has booked “nearly 3000 orders for our full powertrains and components.”

EASA Certificates Safran Electric Motor

On Feb. 3, Safran announced that EASA had certificated its ENGINeUS 100 electric motor. Safran aims to produce more than 1,000 electric motors per year through the creation of four semi-automated production lines in 2026 in Niort, France, and Pitstone, UK. Safran said its customers include eCTOL/eSTOL developers Aura Aero, Bye Aerospace, Diamond Aircraft, Electra Aero and VoltAero, and Chinese electric VTOL aircraft company TCab Tech.