World’s Largest Electric Aircraft Completes First Flight

World’s Largest Electric Aircraft Completes First Flight:

The world’s largest battery-electric aircraft has completed its first flight. Heart Aerospace flew its X1 demonstrator for the first time at Plattsburgh International Airport in New York on August 12, 2026.

Heart Aerospace also shared footage of the milestone on X. The company says the X1 is the largest battery-electric aircraft ever flown. It has a wingspan of 106 feet (32 metres), measures 76 feet (23 metres) from nose to tail, and weighed more than 25,000 pounds (11,300 kg) at takeoff.

Electric Plane Flies for 27 Minutes

The piloted test flight lasted 27 minutes. During the flight, the X1 climbed to 1,100 feet above ground level. Its fully electric propulsion system also delivered more than one megawatt of power.

The test included taxiing, takeoff, climbing, manoeuvring, and landing. Heart conducted the flight under an FAA Special Airworthiness Certificate in the Experimental Category. The company designed the test to demonstrate battery-powered flight at a scale closer to commercial airliners.

Interestingly, Heart Aerospace says the aircraft consumed around $5 worth of electricity during the entire flight. However, that figure only represents the electricity used during the test and should not be confused with the total operating cost of a commercial flight, which would also include crew, maintenance, airport charges, and other expenses.

X1 Paves the Way for the ES-30

The X1 is not intended to become a commercial passenger aircraft. Instead, it is a full-scale demonstrator helping Heart Aerospace develop the ES-30, its planned 30-seat regional aircraft.

Unlike the fully electric X1, the ES-30 will use a hybrid-electric propulsion system. Heart currently targets an all-electric range of 200 km and a hybrid range of up to 800 km. The company also lists a charging time of around 30 minutes.

Heart expects flight testing of its first pre-production ES-30 to begin in 2028. Meanwhile, the company is targeting certification and entry into commercial service in 2031. United Airlines, Air Canada, and JSX are among the airlines that have made commitments to the program.

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Résumé en français :

Le plus grand avion électrique au monde a effectué son premier vol. L'avion, appelé X1, a été conçu par Heart Aerospace et a pris son envol pour la première fois le 12 août 2026 à l'aéroport international de Plattsburgh, dans l'État de New York.

Le X1 mesure 32 mètres d'envergure et pèse plus de 11 300 kg au décollage. Le vol a duré 27 minutes, pendant lesquelles l'avion a atteint une altitude de 335 mètres. Il est entièrement alimenté par des batteries et a utilisé environ 5 dollars d'électricité pour ce vol, mais ce chiffre ne représente pas le coût total d'un vol commercial.

Ce vol n'est pas destiné à être un service commercial, mais sert plutôt de prototype pour aider à développer un futur avion régional de 30 places, appelé ES-30. Contrairement au X1, l'ES-30 utilisera un système hybride qui combine électricité et carburant. Heart Aerospace prévoit de commencer les tests de l'ES-30 en 2028 et espère le mettre en service commercial d'ici 2031, avec le soutien de plusieurs compagnies aériennes.