USA-based electrical aircraft developer Ampaire has flown its hybrid demonstrator aircraft continuously for 12 hours.
The flight was conducted on December 10, 2023, in Camarillo, California with the company’s EEL aircraft and lasted for 12 hours exactly, with more than two hours of fuel and battery reserves remaining.
Kevin Noertker, CEO of Ampaire said, “Through this groundbreaking mission, Ampaire has shattered the conventional boundaries of electrified flight, underscoring our relentless pursuit of transformative vehicle performance and commercial utility.
“Our hybrid-electric solutions deliver unparalleled operating economics and unlock endurance and operational flexibility critical to our customer’s needs.”
The endurance flight concludes a year of test and demonstration flights across Canada, Alaska, Arizona, and California.
The EEL demonstrator aircraft has served as a testbed for the hybrid electric propulsion unit flying in Ampaire’s Eco Caravan, which according to Ampaire reduces fuel consumption and emissions by up to 70% compared to traditional Pratt & Whitney PT6 turboprop engines.
Ampaire, which was founded in 2016 flew its Electric EEL technology testbed aircraft for the first time in 2019, and also claims the longest flight for a hybrid electric aircraft of 1,135 miles en route from Los Angeles to Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
