Chad is the editor of AINalerts, AIN's daily business aviation newsletter, and is also the news editor at AIN Media Group.&nbsp;He has been writing about aviation, with an emphasis on business aviation, since 1994. Chad started his writing career at The Avion,&nbsp;the&nbsp;student newspaper at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, serving as editor-in-chief before graduating with a bachelor's in aeronautical science. After a stint as managing editor at Professional Pilot&nbsp;magazine, he joined&nbsp;AIN in late 1998. Chad holds a commercial pilot certificated with instrument and multi-engine ratings, and he also is a CFI/CFII. He lives and works from his home in Venice, Florida.

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Chad Trautvetter

Daher will begin the conceptual design phase later this year of a hybrid-electric TBM model, said aviation division senior v-p Nicolas Chabbert this morning at the 2024 Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo. The end product will be influenced by the TBM 940-based&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2022-05-23/daher-ecopulse-fly-year-end">EcoPulse technology demonstrator</a>&nbsp;that was developed and is now being tested in partnership with Safran and Airbus. Chabbert announced the hybrid-electric model last year at Sun ’n Fun, pledging to have it in service in 2027.
While he intends to keep that schedule, he told AIN that “it’s not an easy certification path for hybrid-electric aircraft. At Daher, we have the advantage of knowing how to certify products. But, for example, high-voltage electrical system certification is still an unknown path. Despite that, we’ll start outlining aircraft specifications later this year.”
To date, EcoPulse has performed 14 “e-flights” using its six 50-kilowatt electric power units, the turbogenerator, and six sets of electric thrusters installed along the wing—since November 10. Under this Phase 3 testing, the aircraft’s APU has logged 10 hours and the high-voltage battery pack has logged six hours. Daher has also done “identification flights” that are providing data to establish comparisons with Airbus computer models.
Up next are noise flight tests, followed by fully opening the envelope and aircraft configurations that will mark the completion of Phase 3. Follow-on Phase 4 tests will focus on the hybrid-electric system.

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Daher On Track to Deliver Hybrid-electric Airplane in 2027

EcoPulse demonstration flights helping to guide new aircraft program

Later this year, Daher will begin the conceptual design phase of a hybrid-electric TBM aircraft intended to be in service in 2027.

Daher On Track for Hybrid-electric Airplane in 2027

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Two captains held the prototype 33 feet above the water for 30 seconds

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GE Aerospace has tested the GE9X, Leap 1A, Leap 1B, and more with the 747.

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Sun n Fun Aerospace Expo 2024

In this article

TBM 900 Series

Daher Aircraft

Airbus

Safran Aircraft Engines

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