magniX to retrofit DHC-7 with electric powertrain

Everett, Washington-based magniX, developing powertrains and batteries for transportation electrification, launched the next phase in the NASA Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration program (EPFD) as it unveiled the de Havilland DHC-7 (Dash 7) aircraft that will be retrofitted with magniX’s electric powertrains.

The aircraft, revealed at a ceremony in Seattle, Washington, featured the logos of magniX, NASA, and the provider of the Dash 7, Air Tindi. The unveiling is the latest development in the program that has achieved substantial milestones in 2024:

• February: magniX successfully achieved the Preliminary Design Review (PDR), establishing the design for the retrofit of the Dash 7 with magniX’s electric powertrains
• April: a magni650 electric engine completed the first phase of testing at the NASA Electric Aircraft Testbed (NEAT) facility in Sandusky, Ohio, confirming the magni650’s capabilities at altitudes of up to 27,500 feet
• June: baseline flight tests for the Dash 7 concluded, generating important performance data before it is modified with magniX’s technology

In the next phase of EPFD, one of the aircraft’s four turbine engines will be replaced with a magniX electric powertrain, with test flights planned for 2026. The following stage will see a second turbine engine substituted with another magniX powertrain. This configuration is expected to reduce fuel consumption up to 40%.

“magniX and NASA are demonstrating that sustainable flight can be realized with technology that we have available today,” said Ben Loxton, magniX’s VP of EPFD and Electric Storage Systems (ESS). “The EPFD program is accelerating its readiness for entry into service, prioritizing safety and the highest standards of performance.”

“As EPFD makes outstanding progress, magniX and NASA are proving the feasibility of electric propulsion for commercial flight,” said Reed Macdonald, magniX CEO. “Integrating our game-changing electric powertrains into a regional airliner such as the Dash 7 represents a major step forward in bringing electric solutions into the business of aviation.”

“We at NASA are excited about EPFD’s potential to make aviation sustainable and more accessible to more U.S. communities,” said Robert A. Pearce, associate administrator for NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. “Hybrid electric propulsion on a megawatt scale accelerates U.S. progress toward its goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, benefitting all who rely on air transportation every day.”