MagniX electric propulsion unit nears NASA flight test phase
November 27, 2024
MagniX’s magni650 electric propulsion unit has successfully completed its ground-based simulated flight test analysis, readying it for the flight test phase of NASA’s Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) campaign.
With the EPU having successfully performed at a simulated altitude of 30,000 feet at a maximum continuous power of 700 kw – described by magniX as “an unprecedented achievement for an electric engine” – this “breakthrough performance” demonstrates the magni650’s readiness for airborne trials, explains magniX. Testing has been performed at NASA’s Electric Aircraft Testbed (NEAT) facility in Sandusky, Ohio.
The upcoming airborne campaign will be conducted onboard the company’s De Havilland Dash 7, with one of the four turbine engines to be replaced with the electric powertrain; moving the project closer to what magniX hopes will be the world’s first electric engine certification. The aircraft concluded its baseline flight tests in August this year, generating important performance data prior to its upcoming modification with magniX’s technology.
“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 towards the decarbonisation of aerospace, explained magniX VP of technical programmes Ben Loxton.
Speaking earlier this year, associate administrator for NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Robert Pearce explained that “we at NASA are excited about EFPD’s potential to make aviation sustainable and more accessible to more US communities,” adding “hybrid-electric propulsion on a megawatt scale accelerates US progress towards its goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050”.
