magniX achieves milestone in NASA test

Electric aviation powertrain developer magniX reached a historic milestone in testing its magni650 electric propulsion unit (EPU) at NASA’s Electric Aircraft Testbed (NEAT) in Sandusky, Ohio.

The magni650 successfully performed at an altitude of 30,000 feet at a maximum continuous power of 700 kilowatts (kW) – an unprecedented achievement for an electric engine. The breakthrough performance of magniX’s EPU under simulated flight conditions at altitude demonstrates its readiness for the flight test phase of NASA’s Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) project and moves it closer to the world’s first electric engine certification.

In the next stage of EPFD, one of the four turbine engines on magniX’s De Havilland Dash 7 test aircraft will be replaced with a magni650 electric powertrain, with test flights planned for 2026. The final stage of the program will see a second turbine engine substituted with another magniX powertrain. This configuration is expected to reduce fuel consumption up to 40% on a typical flight. The data collected will help bring the electrification of large-scale commercial aircraft closer to entry-into-service by the end of the decade.

With a record of powering first flights on five different aircraft, magniX is leading the advancement of electric aviation. Having launched its Samson batteries earlier in 2024, with superior energy density and cycle-life, magniX provides a full electric powertrain solution with a pathway to entry-into-service.

“The NEAT test campaign has moved us closer to the world’s first certification of an electric powertrain for aviation,” said Ben Loxton, magniX VP of Technical Programs. “The work we are doing with NASA in the EPFD project will enable the electrification of regional commercial aviation in pure electric on short routes, and hybridization on longer routes – significant steps toward the decarbonization of aerospace.”