Overview
- Heart's X1, which flew on Wednesday, August 12, completed a 27-minute piloted test that reached about 1,100 feet above ground level and delivered over one megawatt of battery-electric power.
- The flight was conducted under an FAA Special Airworthiness Certificate in the Experimental Category and followed a test profile of taxi, takeoff, climb, maneuvering, and landing.
- Heart reported the all-electric mission used roughly US$5 of electricity, a figure the company highlights to argue for lower energy costs versus jet fuel as it develops commercial aircraft.
- X1 is a full-scale testbed for the ES-30, and Heart is building a pre-production ES-30 in Los Angeles with flight testing planned for 2028 and a targeted entry into service in 2031, subject to certification.
- Heart says the ES-30 will be a hybrid design to offset current battery limits—about 125 miles all-electric and roughly 500 miles in hybrid mode—and the company projects operating-cost cuts of more than 40 percent while major carriers have already made purchase commitments.