Electric aviation engine company magniX has finished ground testing its first propulsion unit at NASA’s Electric Aircraft Testbed in Sandusky, Ohio.
The magni650 successfully was tested at an altitude of 30,000ft at a maximum continuous power of 700kw under simulated flight conditions. The electric propulsion unit’s (EPU’s) next stage of testing will be the flight test phase of NASA’s Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) project.
In the next stage of the EPFD program, one of 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 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, said magniX.
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.
Ben Loxton, vice president of technical programs magniX 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.”
