Hybrid-electric propulsion system developer Ampaire has started demonstration flights in Utah as part of the FAA-backed eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP). On Thursday, the California-based company reported that its EEL technology demonstrator aircraft had completed a series of flights intended to replicate possible commercial routes.
Over the course of a phased exercise that is part of Utah’s uFly program, Ampaire intends to fly its Eco Caravan aircraft, which is a Cessna Grand Caravan fitted with its AMP-H570. According to co-founder and CEO Kevin Noertker, the company is now aiming to complete certification of this powerplant and secure a supplemental type certificate for converting the Caravan utility models in 2027. It recently completed the FAA’s process for establishing the G1 certification basis.
The flight trials started on August 3 when the EEL aircraft—a converted Cessna 337 Skymaster—made the 564 nm trip from Ampaire’s headquarters in Long Beach, California, to Salt Lake City, Utah, in 4 hours 18 minutes on a single battery charge. The first uFly trip was made on August 6 when the aircraft logged 209 nm in 1 hour 45 minutes to get to Cedar City, Utah. Including the return flight to Long Beach, the aircraft logged a total of 1,165 nm.
According to Ampaire, the Salt Lake City to Cedar City sector is typical of the sort of commercial connection that could be made with a hybrid-electric aircraft carrying freight or passengers. The uFly program, which is one of eight eIPP projects being conducted across the U.S., is intended to evaluate the operational readiness and infrastructure needs of new aircraft, in addition to assessing route performance and use cases. In July, Ampaire conducted a series of flights between California and Utah.
In-flight Recharging
The AMP-H570 powertrain is designed to recharge its own batteries in flight, avoiding the need for recharging infrastructure at airports it visits. On the EEL aircraft, the electric propulsion unit drives the nose propeller, while a turbogenerator powers the aft propeller.
Utah’s Department of Transportation believes that advanced air mobility services could improve connections between rural and urban areas, as well as boost economic opportunities. Ampaire is seeking to demonstrate that this progress can be achieved using airports and infrastructure already available.
“Over Utah’s mountainous terrain and high-density-altitude conditions, the additional electric boost power helped us climb through conditions that would have been more limiting in a conventional engine-only configuration,” commented Ampaire test pilot Zack Kraus. The company said that it has already logged more than 38,000 miles with the hybrid-electric propulsion system.