EcoPulse, the distributed hybrid-electric propulsion demonstrator aircraft developed jointly by Daher, Safran, and Airbus, has completed its flight test campaign. During a press conference in France on Tuesday, the partners reported that the project has provided “crucial insights” into the potential design, certification, production, and operation of such an aircraft.

Since its first flight from Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées Airport in the southwest of France on Nov. 29, 2023, the EcoPulse demonstrator accumulated 100 flight hours in around 50 sorties. The last of the flights was in July, and since then the partners have been assessing the data collected.

The propulsion system generated a network voltage of about 800 volts DC and a power output of 350 kilowatts. According to engineers involved in the work, the flight tests demonstrated “unprecedented onboard electric power levels for distributed electric propulsion.”

One example of the tests demonstrated that the synchro-phasing of the six sets of propellers driven by Safran’s electric motors reduced noise levels inside the aircraft, which was based on Daher’s TBM single turboprop model.

The EcoPulse’s flight control computer, which was primarily designed to maneuver the aircraft, replaced traditional control surfaces by instead adjusting the distribution of electric power between the so-called ePropellers.

The EcoPulse project was supported by France’s Civil Aviation Research Council (CORAC) and jointly funded by DGAC, the country’s civil aviation authority. Safran provided the powertrain consisting of a turbogenerator in combination with the electric motors, while Airbus supplied a high-voltage battery pack.

All three partners indicated that they will continue work on possible electric and hybrid-electric technology as a part of wider efforts to decarbonize aviation. They indicated that the work had identified obstacles to bringing new green aircraft to market, including factors such as the role of pilots, airworthiness criteria, optimizing weight and noise, and managing technical complexity.

“This EcoPulse campaign allows us to advance certain hybrid-electric technologies, such as high voltage batteries, and integrate them into future aircraft, helicopters, and air mobility solutions,” said Jean-Baptiste Manchette, head of propulsion of tomorrow at Airbus. “With distributed electric propulsion, we achieved our goal of modeling flight physics and energy management at the aircraft level, key elements for sharing the next generation of aircraft.”