First Flight On Batteries For EcoPulse Demonstrator While the EcoPulse aircraft has been under preliminary testing since its introduction in 2019, the aircraft which is a modified Daher 900 series turboprop, has been utilizing its main turboprop propeller. However, at the end of November the aircraft took-off from Tarbes, France with batteries onboard and utilized the electric propellers along with the hybrid turbogenerator. EcoPulse is a distributed hybrid-propulsion demonstrator aircraft co-developed by Airbus, Daher and Safran.
Eric Dalbiès, Safran’s Executive Vice President Strategy and Chief Technology Officer, commented: "We confirmed today that this disruptive propulsion system works in flight, which paves the way for more sustainable aviation. The lessons learned from upcoming flight tests will feed into our technology roadmap and strengthen our position as leader in future all-electric and hybrid-electric propulsive systems."
Unveiled at the 2019 Paris Air Show, EcoPulse is one of the major collaborative projects in Europe in the field of aviation decarbonization. It is supported by CORAC and co-funded by DGAC through France Relance and NextGeneration EU. The demonstrator aims to evaluate the operational advantages of integrating hybrid-electric distributed propulsion, with specific emphasis on CO2 emissions and noise level reduction. Flight testing of the demonstrator will last until mid-2024 at the latest, and will include up to 30 test flights. For more information: SOCATA North America, Inc. North Perry Airport, 7501 South Airport Rd. Pembroke Pines, FL 33023 / USA www.tbm.aero ***
