Heart Aerospace, a Swedish company specializing in hybrid-electric airplanes, has reached a significant milestone by unveiling its first full-scale demonstrator airplane, the ES-30. This marks a crucial step in the development of their regional hybrid-electric aircraft. The aircraft, named Heart Experimental 1 (Heart X1), was constructed primarily in-house at Heart’s facilities in Gothenburg. This demonstrates the company’s commitment to developing both the design and production processes simultaneously.
Anders Forslund, the co-founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace, emphasized the urgency of decarbonizing aviation within the next 25 years, as the industry is approaching a 30-year innovation cycle. He praised the dedication and innovation of the team in successfully rolling out a 30-seat aircraft demonstrator with a new propulsion system in less than two years.
The Heart X1, with its impressive 32-meter wingspan, will undergo rigorous testing and development to prepare for its first fully electric flight in the second quarter of 2025. Initially, the aircraft will undergo ground-based testing focusing on charging operations, taxiing, and turnaround procedures. Over the coming months, critical systems will be tested through hardware tests both on and off the airplane.
Funding for the development of the Heart X1 was supported in part by grants from the Swedish Innovation Agency, Vinnova, highlighting the collaborative efforts between the government and industry to bring innovative aviation technologies to market. Ben Stabler, the Chief Technology Officer at Heart Aerospace, emphasized the need for a revolution in product development and manufacturing to achieve innovative net zero aerospace technologies.
Following the development of the Heart X1, Heart Aerospace is now concentrating on establishing a cutting-edge aircraft manufacturing process that leverages the latest technologies in composite manufacturing and product lifecycle management. The company aims to build a data-driven assembly line with high repeatability, automation, and non-destructive inspection.
The next phase in Heart Aerospace’s development is the creation of a pre-production prototype, the Heart X2, which will further enhance the design and production methods based on insights gained from the Heart X1. The Heart X2 is slated for a hybrid-electric flight in 2026, showcasing the company’s Independent Hybrid propulsion system.
Heart Aerospace’s efforts have been recognized through a $4.1 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Fuelling Aviation’s Sustainable Transition (FAST) program to develop the management system for the hybrid-electric propulsion. The company plans to establish a pilot manufacturing plant to accelerate prototyping towards the production of a fully conforming aircraft, with the goal of obtaining type certification for the ES-30 by the end of the decade.
The ES-30, a regional hybrid-electric airplane with a seating capacity of 30 passengers, offers exceptional sustainability and efficiency on short-haul routes. With an electric zero-emission range of 200 kilometers and an extended hybrid range of 400 kilometers, the ES-30 promises to revolutionize the future of aviation.
