Overview
- The X1 demonstrator completed a 27-minute piloted test flight that took off from Plattsburgh, New York, and reached about 1,100 feet; Heart reported the aircraft’s electric propulsion delivered over 1 megawatt of power.
- Heart said the X1 used roughly US$5 of electricity for the flight, a figure meant to illustrate lower energy costs but not to include operational expenses such as crew, maintenance or battery wear.
- The flight on August 12 was conducted under an FAA Special Airworthiness Certificate in the experimental category, which permits testing but is not a certification for commercial passenger service.
- Heart is using X1 data to validate systems for the ES-30, a 30-seat hybrid-electric regional airliner that the company says has drawn airline commitments and about US$9.4 billion in customer commitments.
- Because battery energy density limits all-electric range to about 200 km, Heart plans a hybrid ES-30 to reach roughly 800 km, with preproduction work under way in Los Angeles, flight tests targeted for 2028 and entry into service aimed for 2031.