Accumulates 100 Flight Hours Over 50 Flights

EcoPulse, a distributed hybrid-electric propulsion demonstrator aircraft developed in a collaboration among Daher, Safran, and Airbus, has concluded its flight test campaign, yielding important insights to meet the goal of decarbonizing air transport by 2050.

The joint project has also provided invaluable experience in the design, certification, production, and operation of hybrid-electric aircraft.

The flight test campaign began in November 2023 and since then has performed fifty flights accumulating 100 flight hours. Significant findings of the campaign include an objective evaluation of the maturity of hybridization technologies, performance assessment when integrated into the airframe, and identification of operational limitations.

EcoPulse was revealed at the 2019 Paris Air Show. It is based on the Daher TBM airframe and equipped with six ePropellers by Safran distributed along its wings. The propulsion system integrates a turbogenerator or electric generator driven by a gas turbine by Safran, and a high-voltage battery pack provided by Airbus.

At the heart of the propulsion system is a Power Distribution and Rectification Unit to distribute the electrical power and protects the high-voltage network.

Pascal Laguerre, CTO of Daher said, “EcoPulse has enabled Daher to take a crucial step forward in developing a low-carbon aircraft. This project not only helped us design an operational system for a demonstration prototype but also tackle critical technological hurdles. Thanks to this rich and unprecedented collaboration, we have made significant progress toward hybridization.”

Eric Dalbiès, SVP of Strategy and CTO at Safran said, "We are particularly pleased with the success of the EcoPulse program and its results. This was the first time we tested a complete hybrid-electric propulsion system in flight, and these trials represented a significant milestone in our technology roadmap.”

FMI:  www.daher.com/ , www.airbus.com/ , www.safran-group.com/