Heart Aerospace, a Swedish startup aiming to revolutionize regional air travel, has just unveiled its first full-scale demonstrator airplane, marking a major milestone in its development of hybrid-electric aircraft. The unveiling of the Heart Experimental 1 (Heart X1), a 30-seat aircraft, is a significant step in the company’s journey with its regional hybrid-electric aircraft, the ES-30.
Anders Forslund, co-founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace, highlighted the urgency of innovation in the aviation industry. “Our industry is approaching a 30-year innovation cycle, and we have less than 25 years to decarbonize aviation. We need to develop new methods to get net zero aerospace technologies to market faster. It is a testament to the ingenuity and dedication of our team that we’re able to roll out a 30-seat aircraft demonstrator with a brand-new propulsion system, largely in-house, in less than two years.”
The 32-meter wingspan demonstrator, dubbed Heart X1, will serve as a platform for testing and development of Heart’s ES-30 electric aircraft. Initial testing will focus on ground-based procedures such as charging, taxiing, and turnaround operations. Heart is then scheduled to conduct its first fully electric flight in Q2 2025, following extensive hardware tests on and off the electric plane.
Ben Stabler, Chief Technology Officer at Heart Aerospace, emphasized the revolutionary approach required to develop net-zero propulsion aerospace technologies. “Developing innovative net-zero propulsion aerospace technologies demands a revolution in product development and manufacturing, much like what we’ve witnessed in the automotive and space industries.”
Heart Aerospace’s ES-30 is a regional hybrid-electric airplane designed to carry 30 passengers and offer unparalleled sustainability and efficiency on short-haul routes. The aircraft boasts an electric zero-emission range of 200 kilometers and an extended hybrid range of 400 kilometers, demonstrating its potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions in the aviation sector. The unveiling of the HX-1 marks a significant step towards making this vision a reality.
