Electric power company magniX’s Samson batteries powered the first flight of Bye Aerospace’s eFlyer 2 prototype this week from Centennial Airport near Denver, Colorado.
The company revealed that this was the first flight to be powered by magniX’s Samson300 battery product which offers energy density of 300 Wh/kg, cycle life of over 1,000 full-depth discharge cycles and patented safety technologies. The batteries can be integrated into aircraft as part of a full magniX powertrain and are available as a standalone product.
magniX says its batteries deliver up to 800 volts and have been designed to meet the demands of mission-critical applications across a range of industries in aerospace and beyond.
“The successful first flight of the eFlyer 2 marks a major milestone for Bye Aerospace and demonstrates the progress being made across the electric aviation industry,” said Rod Zastrow, CEO of Bye Aerospace.
“We’re proud to have achieved this milestone with magniX’s Samson battery technology on board. We look forward to continuing our work together as we expand the eFlyer 2 flight test programme and move toward certification.”
Bye Aerospace’s eFlyer 2 is forecast to cost significantly less to operate than legacy piston training aircraft, is designed for rapid charging, producing zero emissions. The company says this technology will disrupt the flight training market, where rising costs have contributed to a critical pilot shortage facing the global aviation industry.
“The first flight powered by magniX’s Samson battery product is a major milestone, demonstrating the exceptional performance of our technology,” said Reed Macdonald, CEO of magniX. “I would like to congratulate the team at Bye, who are doing important work applying the low-cost of operation and increased reliability of electric aircraft to the flight training market.”
