FAA Backs Heart Aerospace’s Hybrid-electric Powertrain Development | Aviation International News

FAA Backs Heart’s Hybrid Powertrain Development

CLEEN award will help Heart flight-test its turbogenerator on the ES-36

A digital rendering of Heart’s ES-36 airplane in flight — Heart Aerospace’s 36-seat ES-36 hybrid-electric regional airliner, shown in a rendering, is targeting service entry in 2031.

By Hanneke Weitering • Science & Technology Editor

October 12, 2026

Heart Aerospace has won a $2.9 million award from the FAA to develop and flight-test the turbogenerators for its ES-36 hybrid-electric regional airliner. The award comes from Phase IV of the agency’s Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions, and Noise (CLEEN) program, Heart announced Monday, saying it will match the award for a $5.8 million, 24-month development and test effort called Project Hyper (short for “Hybrid Propulsion Environmental Readiness”).

The 36-seat ES-36, which Heart unveiled alongside a purchase agreement from regional carrier JSX on September 23, has a series-hybrid powertrain: two 1.65-megawatt electric motors drive its propellers, and a megawatt-class turbogenerator in each nacelle burns Jet A or sustainable aviation fuel to generate electricity in flight and extend the aircraft’s range. California-based Heart is targeting 125 miles of all-electric range and up to 745 miles in hybrid mode, both plus reserves.

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