World’s largest battery-powered plane X1 completes maiden flight, uses just $5 electricity
Heart Aerospace's X1, a 30-seat battery-powered aircraft, successfully completed its maiden flight in New York. The test flight lasted 27 minutes and demonstrated the potential for electric propulsion in commercial aviation.
Why it matters
Successful electric aviation at this scale could significantly reduce carbon emissions and operational costs for regional air travel.
X1, the world’s largest fully battery-powered jet has managed to successfully complete its maiden flight in upstate New York. According to a report by Popular Science, built by Los Angeles-based Heart Aerospace, the aircraft consists of 30-seats and it flew for 27 minutes at an altitude of 1,100 feet. The interesting part about the flight is that it was completely powered by batteries. With a wingspan of 106 feet and weighing over 25,000 pounds, the X1 represents a significant milestone in electric aviation. The test flight consisted of only the pilot and there was no passenger present on the plane. Heart Aerospace, the company behind the test revealed that X1 consumed electricity of worth $5 during the entire flight. This underscores the potential cost savings of electric aviation.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in