Eviation’s Alice completes a successful maiden flight

Yesterday, Eviation’s Alice electric aircraft made its inaugural flight, hinting at a time when regional trips of hundreds of miles will be completed with no emissions and a great deal less noise. Even though it’s still some time off, today’s demonstration demonstrates that it’s only a matter of time and money.

The Alice is a prototype for a passenger aircraft that will eventually be able to carry nine passengers, their luggage, and about 2,500 pounds overall (just don’t pack any bricks). It is propelled by two MagniX engines and a sizable AVL battery pack. MagniX just received $74 million from NASA to construct more of these engines. Its maximum airspeed is 260 knots.

It took off from an airfield in the centre of Washington for the test flight, rose to a height of 3,500 feet, and then descended once more for an eight-minute journey. The aircraft can essentially do that, but there is still a long way to go before passenger flights are fully operational.

This wasn’t simply a major press event to flaunt their brand-new aircraft; it was also a crucial validation of what had, up until it left the tarmac, only existed in principle as an aeroplane. More test flights will come after this one as they investigate the aircraft’s limits and capabilities in various environments.

There are undoubtedly clients in line; even if Alice won’t be operating for a few years, more than 100 aircraft have already been reserved.

Regional airlines Cape Air and Global Crossing Airlines, who could both use Alice-type electric craft to cover the majority of their flights, bought 75 and 50 aircraft, respectively. Although a significant investment, there would be significant fuel and maybe maintenance savings. DHL Express has also placed an order for a dozen aircraft, indicating that it would like to test the waters first.

We can anticipate further growth and diversity in the business over the coming years as the electric aviation field heats up and companies eventually go past the concept stage and into real testing.