Hybrid-Electric Aircraft Makes Successful Test Flight
JUILLAN, France—A hybrid-electric aircraft developed by Airbus, Daher and Safran has made an inaugural test flight here. The EcoPulse is a modified Daher TBM 900 turboprop that uses a traditional engine for take off and landing, but a hybrid-propulsion system at cruising altitude.
Airbus engineers developed a high-energy-density battery; aerodynamic and acoustic integration of the distributed-propulsion system; and a flight control computer system. They also modified the shape of the aircraft to assess the performance impact of having a distributed propulsion system.