2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Hanneke Weitering

New developments at airports including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

Expanded facility supports Ampaire's growing electric aviation ambitions

Ampaire Relocates Headquarters to Long Beach Airport

Hybrid-electric powertrain pioneer Ampaire is further expanding its portfolio of sustainable flight solutions with the acquisition of Magpie Aviation, a start-up that’s developing an autonomous “aerotow” to extend the range of large electric aircraft by tugging them through the atmosphere.&nbsp;
Los Angeles-based Ampaire has spent the past seven years developing hybrid-electric propulsion systems as retrofits for existing aircraft to reduce emissions and fuel costs. But recently the powertrain specialist has been branching out into new territories. In July, Ampaire announced its acquisition of Talyn Air, a start-up developing a unique dual-vehicle eVTOL system.&nbsp;
“Building upon our recent acquisition of Talyn Air, the addition of Magpie exemplifies our deliberate approach to integrating pivotal companies and assets on our path to accelerate our leadership in electrified aviation,” Ampaire CEO Kevin Noertker said in a written statement. “With this acquisition, Ampaire anticipates further revenue growth across both commercial and defense sectors while simultaneously enhancing the capabilities and mission scope of our existing hybrid aircraft.”
Nearly one year ago, <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-04-25/magpie-aviation-demonstrates-first-autonomous-tow-electric-airplanes">Magpie demonstrated its electric aerotow concept</a> in flight for the first time. The company used a small Pipistrel airplane to tow a glider (a PIK-20D sailplane) after grappling it in midair using a tether with an “active hook” mechanism, which automatically steers itself toward the glider’s nose. Magpie’s original concept called for autonomous, electric tug airplanes that could potentially take turns towing larger battery-powered airplanes in cruise flight, allowing the larger vehicles to fly farther by reducing their power consumption. Magpie has been developing this concept since 2022 with some support from government contracts, including with the U.S. Air Force.&nbsp;
“We founded Magpie because we believe electrified aircraft have a pivotal role to play in the future of aviation,” said company CEO Damon Vander Lind. “I am thrilled to see this vision continuing to move forward under Ampaire’s banner. Not only does this lift the prospects of civilian electric aircraft and meaningful emission reductions in the future, it also helps Ampaire to serve military customers with their needs, right now.”
Although Ampaire has yet to dabble in autonomous aircraft operations, the company “believes that electrification can enable increased levels of autonomy, and we will collaborate with other industry players to advance these autonomy applications,” a company spokesperson told AIN. “There are autonomy options for both the tow vehicle (e.g. Caravan) and the glider. Initial flights will be piloted.”
Magpie’s idea bears some similarities to <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-07-19/propulsion-system-innovator-ampaire-acquires-evtol-aircraft-developer-talyn">Talyn’s dual-vehicle concept</a>, which envisions an eVTOL aircraft that vertically hoists electric airplanes to cruising altitude and returns to its base after separation. When the cruise vehicle approaches its destination, a second eVTOL lifting vehicle would fetch it from the sky and lower it down to the ground. This system would allow electric airplanes without vertical flight capabilities to take off and land vertically in areas without runways, such as helipads and vertiports. Using a secondary vehicle for vertical propulsion also reduces the primary aircraft’s power consumption during takeoff and landing, allowing it to fly longer distances.&nbsp;
At the time of the Talyn acquisition, Noertker told AIN that the company will continue to develop Talyn’s dual-vehicle concept but is focusing primarily on the “lift” aircraft rather than producing two vehicles. Noertker envisions a hybrid-electric lift vehicle that could potentially be compatible with several different types of aircraft.
Ampaire is working to secure supplemental type certificates (STC) to convert existing aircraft such as the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan and the <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2020-05-22/ampaire-ikhana-team-electrified-twin-otter-plan">Twin Otter</a> to run on its AMP Drive hybrid-electric powertrain, which it says will deliver a 50 to 70 percent reduction in fuel burn and carbon emissions. The company aims to have its first STC for the Eco Caravan in hand by the end of this year. The <a href="https://futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-11-18/ampaires-hybrid-electric-eco-caravan-makes-first-test-flight">Eco Caravan made its first flight</a> in November 2022.&nbsp;
Last month Ampaire announced it had successfully conducted ground tests with its hybrid-electric propulsion system running on <a href="https://futureflight.aero/news-article/2024-02-22/ampaire-runs-hybrid-electric-propulsion-system-100-percent-sustainable">100 percent sustainable aviation fuel</a>. In December, Ampaire claimed to have set the world record for the <a href="https://futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-12-13/ampaire-claims-record-12-hour-hybrid-electric-flight">longest flight of a hybrid-electric aircraft</a> with its Electric EEL technology demonstrator—a Cessna 337 Skymaster retrofitted with an electric motor. Ampaire has been using the Electric EEL to develop the AMP-H570 plug-in hybrid-electric powertrain featured in the company’s Eco Caravan product, a converted 208B Caravan.

Science & Technology Editor

Ampaire Acquires Electric ‘Aerotow’ Developer Magpie Aviation

Ampaire has completed ground tests with its hybrid-electric propulsion system running on 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Dimensional Energy produced the ASTM D7566 fuel using a process involving electricity and carbon dioxide.
According to Ampaire, running its AMP-H570 AMP Drive powertrain on 100 percent SAF will act as a force multiplier in decarbonizing flights&nbsp;while offering the superior payload and range of a hybrid-electric system, as opposed to a battery-electric propulsion system. Both companies have received investments from Elemental Excelerator, and this connection led to the use of Dimensional Energy’s e-fuels with Ampaire’s technology in a move they say doubles the efficiency of SAF. The companies said the test results exceeded their expectations.
Los Angeles-based Ampaire conducted the ground testing with its <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-12-13/ampaire-claims-record-12-hour-hybrid-electric-flight">Eco Caravan hybrid-electric aircraft.</a> The company said its propulsion system will deliver a 50 to 70 percent reduction in fuel burn and carbon emissions compared with current Pratt &amp; Whitney engines that power the Cessna Caravan aircraft it is now working to convert to hybrid-electric power.
Houston-based Dimensional Energy was founded in 2016 to exploit technology with the potential to decarbonize while adding value in new ways. Among these is developing e-fuels sourced from renewable resources.
“By combining Dimensional Energy e-fuels with Ampaire’s aircraft technology that can reduce the amount of fuels combusted during flight, we quicken the pace up the steep curve of energy transition and reduce the need for [carbon] extraction faster,” said Dimensional Energy CEO Jason Salfi.

Managing Editor

Charles Alcock

Ampaire Runs Hybrid-Electric Propulsion System on 100 Percent Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Ampaire has set what it believes is a new record for flight endurance with a hybrid-electric aircraft. On Tuesday, the company reported that its Electric EEL technology demonstrator aircraft had flown for exactly 12 hours on December 10 from Camarillo, California, landing with over two hours of fuel and battery reserves remaining.
The Electric EEL, which is a converted Cessna 337 Skymaster, is being used to develop Ampaire’s H570 AMP Drive hybrid-electric propulsion system. In addition to <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-07-26/ampaire-picks-red-engine-hybrid-electric-eco-caravan">Red Aircraft's AO3 engine</a>, this powertrain includes batteries, as well as electric motors and inverters that turn two sets of propellers.
This is to be used to convert Cessna Caravan aircraft into the company’s Eco Caravan product, with a projected 50 to 70 percent reduction in fuel consumption compared with the current Pratt &amp; Whitney PT6 turboprop engines.
The latest Electric EEL test flight covered 1,375 miles. It built&nbsp;on an extended series of flights, which since 2019 have included missions to Hawaii, <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-08-23/ampaire-reaches-alaska-it-extends-hybrid-electric-aircraft-flight-testing">Alaska</a>, and Canada, as well as a 1,135-mile trip from Los Angeles to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for the EAA AirVenture show. In November, the aircraft flew to Scottsdale, Arizona, to be on display at the Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association conference. In November 2022, Ampaire achieved the first flight with the <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-11-18/ampaires-hybrid-electric-eco-caravan-makes-first-test-flight">nine-passenger Eco Caravan</a>.
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 <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/futureflight/import/IMG_4283_014526.JPG" width="5184" height="3456" alt="Ampaire has conducted test flights with its Electric EEL technology demonstrator aircraft." title="Ampaire has conducted extensive flight testing with its Electric EEL technology demonstrator aircraft. (Ampaire)">

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<div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blockmediaimagefield-caption">
 
 
 
 <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Ampaire has conducted extensive flight testing with its Electric EEL technology demonstrator aircraft. (Ampaire)</div>
 
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“Through this groundbreaking mission, Ampaire has shattered the conventional boundaries of electrified flight, underscoring our relentless pursuit of transformative vehicle performance and commercial utility,” commented Ampaire CEO Kevin Noertker. “Our unique hybrid electric solutions deliver unparalleled operating economics and unlock endurance and operational flexibility critical to our customers' needs.”
Prospective customers for the Eco Caravan include leasing group Monte and Brazilian regional airline Azul Conecta. In January, the latter company signed a letter of intent to upgrade six of its 27 Cessna Grand Caravan freighters to use the <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-brief/2023-06-21/ampaire-makes-case-hybrid-electric-propulsion">hybrid-electric propulsion technology</a>. Ampaire says it now has framework purchase agreements in place for over 100 Eco Caravan aircraft and letters of intent covering 500 of the AMP Drive units.

Ampaire Claims Record for 12-Hour Hybrid-electric Flight

Hybrid-electric propulsion pioneer Ampaire is supporting Elire Aero's efforts to produce an existing family of light utility aircraft with reduced carbon powertrains. The start-up is in the process of acquiring an undisclosed airframer and on October 1 signed an agreement with Ampaire, which is already working on its own plans to re-engine aircraft including the Cessna Grand Caravan.
Elire Aero's business plan would see it offer the Ampaire propulsion system as one of several alternative powertrains for the aircraft it intends to produce. It is understood to be close to reaching agreements with two other undisclosed&nbsp;companies, including one that has already&nbsp;converted an existing aircraft to use its battery-electric powertrain and is also supporting a new all-electric aircraft program. The other company is developing hydrogen fuel cell technology.
The aircraft that Elire Aero intends to manufacture include models&nbsp;seating between 8 and 18 passengers, with customers having the option of buying new-build aircraft from the production line or having existing airframes converted under supplemental type certificates.&nbsp;While declining to disclose the identity of the airframer it intends to buy, Elire Aero CEO Luke Jenkinson told AIN the aircraft can operate from both land and water, with cargo as well as passenger-carrying applications. 
The company expects to confirm the acquisition in mid-November and says that it will also announce “preorders” for 24 of the aircraft it will convert to electric propulsion by year-end. It says it aims to start delivering aircraft in 2026. It intends to double the production capacity of the manufacturer it is buying from the current rate of 24 units per year.
Asked why Elire believes it can compete in a crowded sector for new electric aircraft,&nbsp;Jenkinson said he expects to be able to get aircraft to market faster than rivals. “Speed is on our side," he explained, "because we will already have production facilities approved and can start making them in 12 to 18 months since the aircraft itself is already certified.”&nbsp;
Elire Aero is operating on initial capital of $30 million from backers within the aviation industry and venture capitalists. Jenkinson said this war chest would be sufficient to cover the first 18 months of operations. 
The start-up’s leadership team includes several executives with aerospace experience, among them its CTO, Rajeev Verma, who is currently a chief engineer at Lockheed Martin in the UK. Its sister company, Elire Infra, is developing ground infrastructure for advanced air mobility services.
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Ampaire Backs Elire Aero's Plans to Electrify eSTOL Utility Aircraft

Ampaire has been extending flight testing of its hybrid-electric technology demonstrator aircraft, Alaska being the latest destination. This week, the company reported that as part of a 3,400-mile series of flights starting in Southern California, where it is headquartered, its test aircraft landed at Fairbanks International Airport on August 13.
According to Ampaire, the flight was the first by a hybrid-electric aircraft in Alaska. It was also an international flight as&nbsp;the aircraft made stops in Canada, with a trip up the Pacific Coast made possible due to the deployment of multiple mobile electric aircraft chargers in Canada and the U.S.
The so-called Electric EEL aircraft, which is a converted Cessna 337 Skymaster, is permitted to fly under special airworthiness approvals from both the FAA and Transport Canada. According to Ampaire, this is the farthest north a <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-brief/2023-06-21/ampaire-makes-case-hybrid-electric-propulsion">hybrid-electric aircraft</a> has ever flown.
French company <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-06-20/voltaero-unveils-first-cassio-330-prototype-aircraft-ahead-first-flight">VoltAero</a> has also been using the Skymaster as the platform for its Cassio I hybrid-electric technology demonstrator. That aircraft has already made some international flights as part of work to develop a family of new-build Cassio aircraft that will use Safran's EngineUs electric propulsion system.
Los Angeles-based <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-12-13/ampaire-gains-further-funding-hybrid-electric-powertrain-development">Ampaire was formed in 2016 </a>and is working to secure a supplemental type certificate (STC) to convert existing aircraft such as the Cessna Caravan and the Twin Otter to use its AMP Drive hybrid-electric powertrain. The company said that the technology demonstrator is already achieving fuel cost savings of between 50 and 70 percent compared with the original Skymaster and maintenance cost reductions of between 25 and 50 percent. It is fitted with motors, inverters to turn the aircraft’s two sets of propellers, and high-powered electronics.
In November 2022, Ampaire made a first test flight in the prototype for its nine-passenger Eco Caravan model. The company has indicated that its propulsion technology could be further scaled to support the multiple new, as well as existing aircraft.
"Ampaire continues to make steady progress toward commercialization of its technology, including applying for an STC with the FAA," said the company's co-founder and CEO Kevin Noertker. "Throughout the summer, we have continued extensive flight testing, ground testing, and lab testing of our systems. In addition, we have continued development on the two power-classes of our AMP Drive hybrid electric powertrains. AMP Drives are applicable to a broad set of aircraft, including fixed-wing aircraft, drones, rotorcraft, and eVTOL."
The latest flight trial is being conducted in partnership with the Launch Alaska Portfolio, of which <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-08-12/how-ampaire-building-its-hybrid-electric-aircraft-strategy">Ampaire </a>is a member, having graduated from the group’s Tech Deployment Track. The project has support from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).
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 <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/futureflight/import/P1000653.jpg" width="5776" height="4336" alt="Ampaire's CEO Kyle Noertker shows ARPA-E officials and Senator Lisa Murkowski the Electric EEL technology demonstrator." title="Left to right: Isik Kizilyalli, associate director for technology at ARPA-E, Daniel Cunningham (acting deputy director for commercialization at ARPA-E), and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, and Ampaire Co-Founder and CEO Kevin Noertker greeted Ampaire’s hybrid-electric aircraft following its successful landing in Fairbanks, Alaska on August 13, 2023. (Image: Ampaire)">

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<div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blockmediaimagefield-caption">
 
 
 
 <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Left to right: Isik Kizilyalli, associate director for technology at ARPA-E, Daniel Cunningham (acting deputy director for commercialization at ARPA-E), and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, and Ampaire Co-Founder and CEO Kevin Noertker greeted Ampaire’s hybrid-electric aircraft following its successful landing in Fairbanks, Alaska on August 13, 2023. (Image: Ampaire)</div>
 
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“To enable low-cost, low-carbon transportation, we need to commercialize electrified aircraft technologies and realize the full potential of regional airports,” said ARPA-E director Evelyn Wang. “If we rise to this challenge, we can connect Alaskans and all Americans to one another, transport goods, and provide services, including medical care. We can drive down the cost of travel and make it accessible for all communities.”
On the flight up to Alaska, the Ampaire crew had to navigate wildfire smoke, rain, and rugged terrain. The company has previously conducted flight trials in California, Hawaii, and the UK. On arrival in Fairbanks, the aircraft was met by U.S. Sen.&nbsp;Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), along with other elected officials and representatives of local businesses and research institutes.
“This first-of-its-kind flight reflects the monumental progress we have made in electrified aviation, and we’re excited to continue deploying solutions that increase reliability, accessibility, and cost savings for communities around the globe,” Noertker said. “At the end of the day, these projects are all about people, creating jobs and economic growth, increasing connectivity while decreasing costs, benefiting communities, and building our future together.”

Ampaire Reaches Alaska as It Extends Hybrid-Electric Aircraft Flight Testing

Ampaire, a California-based tech start-up working to retrofit airplanes with <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-08-12/how-ampaire-building-its-hybrid-electric-aircraft-strategy">hybrid-electric powertrains</a>, is expanding into eVTOL aircraft manufacturing with the acquisition of drone developer Talyn Air. Announcing the acquisition on July 20, Ampaire said the move will boost revenues&nbsp;and accelerate growth as it ventures beyond hybrid-electric propulsion systems to explore drone and eVTOL applications for both the commercial and defense sectors.&nbsp;
Talyn, which was founded in 2019 by two former SpaceX engineers, has secured numerous contracts from the U.S. Department of Defense, including the Air Force’s Agility Prime program, for the research and development of its eVTOL flight technologies. Like Ampaire, the company is headquartered in the Los Angeles area.
With its acquisition of Talyn, Ampaire will take over those contracts, which have a remaining value of more than $1 million, Ampaire co-founder and CEO Kevin Noertker told FutureFlight. So far most of Ampaire’s own revenue has come from <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-12-13/ampaire-gains-further-funding-hybrid-electric-powertrain-development">government contracts</a>, although the company has also begun collecting deposits on orders of its hybrid-electric conversion kits, he said.&nbsp;
<h3 class="subheading">Two-Stage Vehicles Combine Lift and Cruise</h3>
For the past five years, Talyn has been developing a unique eVTOL concept inspired by two-stage rockets and as of January 2022, it had raised $6.3 million in several funding rounds.&nbsp;The company is devising a new aircraft concept consisting of two vehicles: an eVTOL lift vehicle and a fixed-wing cruise vehicle. The lift vehicle would vertically lift the cruise vehicle to its required altitude before the two vehicles separate and the lift vehicle returns to its base. When the cruise vehicle reaches its destination, another lift vehicle could fetch it from the sky and bring it down to the ground.&nbsp;
This dual-aircraft configuration would have all the benefits of both eVTOL and fixed-wing aircraft—the ability to take off and land vertically without the need for runways, and the efficiency of a fixed-wing aircraft. For ordinary eVTOL aircraft, vertical flight and hover are the most power-intensive flight modes, so having a separate lift vehicle could save a significant amount of valuable battery power. With the battery technology available today, electric aircraft are already limited to short-range flights, and Talyn’s concept would serve as a sort of range extender.&nbsp;
Noertker said Ampaire will continue developing Talyn’s dual-vehicle concept, but it will incorporate a hybrid-electric powertrain rather than a fully electric, battery-powered system. Initially, Ampaire is focused on developing a lift vehicle that could potentially carry a number of different types of aircraft. In taking over Talyn’s work with the DoD, Ampaire will also be developing a hybrid propulsion system that could be integrated into aircraft built by other manufacturers.&nbsp;
Talyn co-founder and CEO Jamie Gull told FutureFlight that Talyn has already done flight tests with subscale aircraft, and it has begun building a larger prototype with a 35-foot wingspan and carbon airframe. Those projects are part of Talyn’s contracts with the Department of Defense, and Ampaire is now taking over the development and flight test campaign of the large-scale prototype, he said. According to Gull, Talyn has already signed multiple letters of intent with prospective partners and customers that the company has not yet publicly disclosed. Those LOIs will remain valid with Ampaire’s takeover of Talyn, he said.
Meanwhile, Ampaire is also actively flight-testing other hybrid-electric aircraft. The EcoCaravan, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan retrofitted with Ampaire’s hybrid propulsion system, made its first flight in November 2022 and is still routinely conducting test flights, Noertker said, adding that the company is also still regularly flying its “<a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2020-10-12/ampaire-achieves-longest-flight-yet-electric-eel-technology-demonstrator">Electric EEL</a>” flight demonstrator, a hybrid-electric version of the Cessna 337 Skymaster. In total, Ampaire has flown more than 18,000 miles so far with its hybrid propulsion systems. The company intends to certify its EcoCaravan powertrain conversion kit by 2024.&nbsp;

Propulsion System Innovator Ampaire Acquires eVTOL Aircraft Developer Talyn Air

Azul Conecta, a regional airline in Brazil, has signed a letter of intent with hybrid-electric aircraft developer Ampaire to upgrade up to six of its Cessna Grand Caravans to Eco Caravans, the companies announced on January 31.&nbsp;
The announcement comes about two months after Ampaire successfully conducted the <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-10-27/ampaire-collects-firm-order-25-eco-caravans-monte-aircraft-leasing">first flight test of an Eco Caravan</a>, a hybrid-electric version of the popular Cessna 208 Grand Caravan. Ampaire, which is based in Hawthorne, California, is working with the FAA to certify the Eco Caravan under a supplemental type certificate by 2024.&nbsp;
The nine-passenger Eco Caravan uses Ampaire’s AMP-H570 hybrid-electric powertrain, a retrofit that the company claims can cut the aircraft’s fuel consumption and emissions by up to 70 percent while reducing operating costs by 25 percent or more.&nbsp;
“After evaluating a range of technologies, including fully&nbsp;electric and hydrogen fuel cells, we concluded that Ampaire moves us toward our ESG [environmental, social, and governance] goals much sooner,” said Azul Conecta CEO Flavio Costa. “Azul Conecta has innovation as a mission and sees the upgrade to the Eco Caravan as a major innovation that accelerates our path to sustainability, maintaining a safety standard in our operations, which is our first and non-negotiable value.”
Formerly known as TwoFlex, Azul Conecta is a regional airline based in Jundiaí, São Paulo. It was formed in 2013 by the merger of Two Táxi Aéreo and Flex Aero Táxi Aéreo. In 2020, it was purchased by and became a subsidiary of Azul, which is Brazil’s largest airline by passenger volume, departures, and cities served.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2021-09-28/azul-conecta-takes-delivery-two-more-caravans">Azul Conecta</a> operates 27 Grand Caravans (three of which are cargo aircraft), making it the largest operator of that model&nbsp;in Brazil. It conducts 80 domestic flights across the country every day and serves 84 destinations.

Brazilian Airline Orders Eco Caravan Upgrades from Ampaire

Hybrid-electric aircraft developer Ampaire has received $150,000 in funding from NASA for its High Efficiency Powertrain for Hybrid Aircraft (HEPHA) project, the company announced on December 9.&nbsp;The Phase 1 award from NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program will help to fund the “sizing, architecture and other analytical studies” for Ampaire’s hybrid-electric powertrain over the next six months, the company said in a statement.&nbsp;
The California-based company&nbsp;hopes the Phase 1 award will be a prelude to a possible Phase 2 award, which would fund the installation and testing of Ampaire’s powertrain on a Cessna Skymaster testbed aircraft known as the ARPA-E Bird. The U.S. Department of Energy’s advanced research unit, ARPA-E (short for Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy), has previously used the Cessna Skymaster for research purposes.&nbsp;
Ampaire's business model is to develop hybrid-electric powertrains that can be used to convert existing aircraft, starting with the Cessna Grand Caravan utility aircraft under the produce name Eco Caravan. It also has <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-05-13/ampaire-says-caravan-conversion-represents-fast-track-viable-electric">plans to convert </a>the larger DHC-6 Twin Otter and, by the 2030s, regional airliners carrying 30 or 40 passengers. The company has backing from partners including the maintenance, repair and overhaul division of <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-10-19/air-france-klm-support-ampaires-development-19-seat-electric-aircraft">Air France KLM</a>.&nbsp;
As part of the SBIR program, Ampaire will equip the ARPA-E Bird “with a hybrid propulsion drivetrain in the nose and an electric drive system in the rear for a multi-mode hybrid system,” company officials said in a statement, adding that the system “could be certified for light aircraft or used as part of larger power systems on regional aircraft and even transport category single-aisle jets.”
This testbed ARPA-E Bird aircraft will also play a role in a $9 million award Ampaire received last month from ARPA-E’s SCALEUP (Seeding Critical Advances for Leading Energy technologies with Untapped Potential) program. SCALEUP aims to accelerate the development of hybrid-electric aircraft subsystems that can be certified for a range of commercial aircraft and produced in large volumes.&nbsp;
On November 22, the ARPA-E advanced programs unit announced that it had granted Ampaire $9 million in funding to continue the development of the company’s nine-passenger, hybrid-electric Eco Caravan. The <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-11-18/ampaires-hybrid-electric-eco-caravan-makes-first-test-flight">Eco Caravan</a>, which made its debut flight on November 18, is a converted, hybrid-electric version of the popular Cessna Grand Caravan utility aircraft and the world’s largest hybrid-electric airplane to conduct a flight test to date.&nbsp;
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“Ampaire has been flying and refining hybrid-electric prototype aircraft since 2019 and the next step is to develop a fully-integrated propulsion system, the AMP-H570, that meets strict certification requirements,” said Ampaire CEO Kevin Noertker. “SCALEUP will be central to supporting this process at Ampaire and contribute to the certification of the nine-passenger Eco Caravan.”
A company spokesman told FutureFlight that Ampaire “is still sorting through considerable flight test data,” and that the aircraft has already made a subsequent flight since its debut. The test flight program will continue into 2023, the spokesman said.&nbsp;
“These wins from NASA and the DOE recognize Ampaire’s leadership in electrified aviation. They also recognize the near-term potential to field hybrid-electric aircraft that will revolutionize aviation by lowering emissions and the cost of travel,” Noertker added.

Ampaire Gains Further Funding for Hybrid-Electric Powertrain Development

The Eco Caravan made its first flight on Friday, marking a key waypoint in Ampaire’s efforts to bring the converted hybrid-electric aircraft to market. The 33-minute sortie from the Los Angeles-area Camarillo Airport marks the start of a flight-test program that the California-based startup aims to lead to an FAA supplemental type certificate for its modification kit in 2024.
With test pilot Elliot Seguin at the helm, the aircraft took off at 7:49 a.m. PST and climbed to an altitude of 3,500 feet at full power. The pilot then throttled the aircraft to a cruise setting, reducing the load on both the combustion engine and the electric engine, after which he spent about 20 minutes testing the aircraft’s various power settings and observing temperatures and other sensor readings before descending back toward the airport in a low-power setting, according to Ampaire.&nbsp;
“The Eco Caravan propulsion system performed just as expected,” Seguin said after the flight. “It was smooth and quiet. All temperature and power output readings were normal.”&nbsp;
Preparations for flight testing the first Eco Caravan prototype have been backed by extensive flight trials with Ampaire’s <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2020-10-12/ampaire-achieves-longest-flight-yet-electric-eel-technology-demonstrator">Electric EEL</a> technology demonstrator. This aircraft has conducted exercises with airline partners in Hawaii and the UK to assess factors such as infrastructure requirements for hybrid-electric aircraft.
For Ampaire, the nine-passenger Eco Caravan will be its first market entrant in <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-05-13/ampaire-says-caravan-conversion-represents-fast-track-viable-electric">a longer-term plan</a> to support the electrification of larger aircraft. Next in its sights is the 19-seat <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-02-08/after-testbed-success-ampaire-lays-out-plans-two-new-electric-aircraft">EcoOtter</a>, a reworking of the DHC-6 Twin Otter, and beyond that Ampaire CEO Kevin Noertker sees potential for 30- or 50-seat hybrid electric regional airliners as the 2030s get underway.
Ampaire said&nbsp;it will help customers source Caravans for conversion and estimates that around 3,000 airframes are in service worldwide that could be available for upgrade. Noertker said&nbsp;&nbsp;he’s spoken with airlines who have expressed interest in operating 1,000 or more of the reinvented green aircraft.
To install the modification kits, Ampaire will use its own facility at Hawthorne Airport near Los Angeles and also a network of independent service providers. These will include Air France Industries KLM Engineering &amp; Maintenance, which in October signed a <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-10-19/air-france-klm-support-ampaires-development-19-seat-electric-aircraft">memorandum of understanding</a> to partner with Ampaire.
At the heart of the Eco Caravan’s powertrain is the A03 compression ignition engine, which its manufacturer RED Aircraft said&nbsp;will be rated at 410 kW as part of Ampaire’s integrated&nbsp;parallel configuration with the 160-kW electric motors and battery packs. The German company, which <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-07-26/ampaire-picks-red-engine-hybrid-electric-eco-caravan">was announced</a> as a program partner during the EAA AirVenture show in July, said&nbsp;its engine will deliver twice the thermodynamic efficiency of a comparable turboprop engine. The net power rating of the overall powertrain is projected to be 570 kW, or 765 shp.
The electric motor&nbsp;will provide power as the aircraft takes off and climbs to cruise altitude, at which point the engine would generally take over. Depending on an operator’s mission requirements, the electric motors could be used for cruise flight or to recharge the batteries, which can otherwise be charged on the ground.
"In Ampaire's integrated parallel hybrid-electric drivetrain architecture, the motors can either add torque to the propeller shaft, resulting in increased propulsion power, or remove torque from the propeller shaft, resulting in recharging the batteries like a generator. They do not do both at the same time," Noertker explained. "In all phases of flight, the combustion half of Ampaire's hybrid system provides a base load of power. During takeoff and climb, the batteries provide electricity to the motors which increases the total propulsion power of the system. During cruise, the motors can optionally pull power from the propulsion system in order to recharge the batteries like a generator."
In September, Ampaire selected Electric Power Systems (EPS) to provide its Epic energy storage system for the Eco Caravan. According to EPS, its battery packs will provide an energy density of 200 Wh/kg and be able to operate for more than&nbsp;2,000 fast-charge cycles before having to be replaced. The battery packs will be installed in a body fairing on the aircraft to conserve space available for passengers and cargo.
Noertker hopes to see airlines currently struggling to achieve profitability on some routes unlocking their potential with hybrid-electric aircraft, even to the extent of being able to restore some “atrophied” services that have had to be suspended. He also expects communities that have not previously benefited from air service now getting these connections.&nbsp;
The Eco Caravan is expected to have a maximum range beyond&nbsp;1,000 miles. The ubiquitous airframe is also well suited to air freight and multiple other missions, including emergency medical support.
Fundamentally, the hybrid-electric Eco Caravan promises a reduction in fuel burn of between 50 and 70 percent, with the greater savings being on short flights. The engine will be able to run on sustainable aviation fuels and other replacements for jet-A.&nbsp;
Factoring in anticipated lighter maintenance requirements compared with the aircraft’s existing Pratt &amp; Whitney Canada PT6 engine, Ampaire expects to give airlines savings in direct operating costs of between 25 and 40 percent. However, it has not yet released specific target flight-hour or seat-mile costs for the Eco Caravan.
Noertker acknowledged that the ongoing war in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion in late February and its impact on world fuel supplies has got the attention of aircraft operators who may have remained complacent about the need for new energy sources. “We have seen a rethink about fuel costs. I’ve tracked the price of jet-A against rates of airline bankruptcies and it’s a very scary correlation. I would love to break that cycle, and this is all about helping people and communities,” he told FutureFlight.
With expectations for further leaps forward in areas such as batteries, Ampaire has declared itself to be agnostic on available energy sources for future aircraft. Noertker said that by starting with a hybrid-electric approach, the company “has resolved the technology risk [compared with starting with all-electric propulsion] and mitigated it to upgrade existing aircraft.” The fact that hybrid models like the Eco Caravan can enter service using currently available fuel supplies, which increasingly could include SAF, also mitigates risks from complex recharging infrastructure needs.
“We’re taking a crawl, walk, run approach and that’s why we’re starting with [conversions of] existing fleets of aircraft, and will then work with OEMs to make the propulsion system standard on new-build aircraft,” Noertker said. “When we get 10, 20, and 30 years from now there will be multiple [electric-powered] clean-sheet airplanes.”
One of these could be the Tailwind concept design that Ampaire has teased on its website. The company has released no details about this design, which appears to feature an intriguing ducted fan powerplant enclosing the rear of the fuselage and some more ducted fans where the wing meets the top of the fuselage.
“Aviation is the hardest industry to decarbonize,” said Noertker. “Fully-electric aircraft are range limited because of the weight and energy capacity of current-generation batteries. Hybrid-electric aircraft, however, can preserve the range and utility of today’s aircraft. That is why we are focused on hybrid-electric propulsion for a series of increasingly capable regional aircraft. It’s a way for the airline industry to decarbonize more quickly and also to benefit from lower operating costs.”

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