2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

The Eco Caravan made its first flight on Friday, marking a key waypoint in Ampaire’s efforts to bring the converted hybrid-electric aircraft to market. The 33-minute sortie from the Los Angeles-area Camarillo Airport marks the start of a flight-test program that the California-based startup aims to lead to an FAA supplemental type certificate for its modification kit in 2024.
With test pilot Elliot Seguin at the helm, the aircraft took off at 7:49 a.m. PST and climbed to an altitude of 3,500 feet at full power. The pilot then throttled the aircraft to a cruise setting, reducing the load on both the combustion engine and the electric engine, after which he spent about 20 minutes testing the aircraft’s various power settings and observing temperatures and other sensor readings before descending back toward the airport in a low-power setting, according to Ampaire.&nbsp;
“The Eco Caravan propulsion system performed just as expected,” Seguin said after the flight. “It was smooth and quiet. All temperature and power output readings were normal.”&nbsp;
Preparations for flight testing the first Eco Caravan prototype have been backed by extensive flight trials with Ampaire’s <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2020-10-12/ampaire-achieves-longest-flight-yet-electric-eel-technology-demonstrator">Electric EEL</a> technology demonstrator. This aircraft has conducted exercises with airline partners in Hawaii and the UK to assess factors such as infrastructure requirements for hybrid-electric aircraft.
For Ampaire, the nine-passenger Eco Caravan will be its first market entrant in <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-05-13/ampaire-says-caravan-conversion-represents-fast-track-viable-electric">a longer-term plan</a> to support the electrification of larger aircraft. Next in its sights is the 19-seat <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-02-08/after-testbed-success-ampaire-lays-out-plans-two-new-electric-aircraft">EcoOtter</a>, a reworking of the DHC-6 Twin Otter, and beyond that Ampaire CEO Kevin Noertker sees potential for 30- or 50-seat hybrid electric regional airliners as the 2030s get underway.
Ampaire said&nbsp;it will help customers source Caravans for conversion and estimates that around 3,000 airframes are in service worldwide that could be available for upgrade. Noertker said&nbsp;&nbsp;he’s spoken with airlines who have expressed interest in operating 1,000 or more of the reinvented green aircraft.
To install the modification kits, Ampaire will use its own facility at Hawthorne Airport near Los Angeles and also a network of independent service providers. These will include Air France Industries KLM Engineering &amp; Maintenance, which in October signed a <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-10-19/air-france-klm-support-ampaires-development-19-seat-electric-aircraft">memorandum of understanding</a> to partner with Ampaire.
At the heart of the Eco Caravan’s powertrain is the A03 compression ignition engine, which its manufacturer RED Aircraft said&nbsp;will be rated at 410 kW as part of Ampaire’s integrated&nbsp;parallel configuration with the 160-kW electric motors and battery packs. The German company, which <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-07-26/ampaire-picks-red-engine-hybrid-electric-eco-caravan">was announced</a> as a program partner during the EAA AirVenture show in July, said&nbsp;its engine will deliver twice the thermodynamic efficiency of a comparable turboprop engine. The net power rating of the overall powertrain is projected to be 570 kW, or 765 shp.
The electric motor&nbsp;will provide power as the aircraft takes off and climbs to cruise altitude, at which point the engine would generally take over. Depending on an operator’s mission requirements, the electric motors could be used for cruise flight or to recharge the batteries, which can otherwise be charged on the ground.
"In Ampaire's integrated parallel hybrid-electric drivetrain architecture, the motors can either add torque to the propeller shaft, resulting in increased propulsion power, or remove torque from the propeller shaft, resulting in recharging the batteries like a generator. They do not do both at the same time," Noertker explained. "In all phases of flight, the combustion half of Ampaire's hybrid system provides a base load of power. During takeoff and climb, the batteries provide electricity to the motors which increases the total propulsion power of the system. During cruise, the motors can optionally pull power from the propulsion system in order to recharge the batteries like a generator."
In September, Ampaire selected Electric Power Systems (EPS) to provide its Epic energy storage system for the Eco Caravan. According to EPS, its battery packs will provide an energy density of 200 Wh/kg and be able to operate for more than&nbsp;2,000 fast-charge cycles before having to be replaced. The battery packs will be installed in a body fairing on the aircraft to conserve space available for passengers and cargo.
Noertker hopes to see airlines currently struggling to achieve profitability on some routes unlocking their potential with hybrid-electric aircraft, even to the extent of being able to restore some “atrophied” services that have had to be suspended. He also expects communities that have not previously benefited from air service now getting these connections.&nbsp;
The Eco Caravan is expected to have a maximum range beyond&nbsp;1,000 miles. The ubiquitous airframe is also well suited to air freight and multiple other missions, including emergency medical support.
Fundamentally, the hybrid-electric Eco Caravan promises a reduction in fuel burn of between 50 and 70 percent, with the greater savings being on short flights. The engine will be able to run on sustainable aviation fuels and other replacements for jet-A.&nbsp;
Factoring in anticipated lighter maintenance requirements compared with the aircraft’s existing Pratt &amp; Whitney Canada PT6 engine, Ampaire expects to give airlines savings in direct operating costs of between 25 and 40 percent. However, it has not yet released specific target flight-hour or seat-mile costs for the Eco Caravan.
Noertker acknowledged that the ongoing war in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion in late February and its impact on world fuel supplies has got the attention of aircraft operators who may have remained complacent about the need for new energy sources. “We have seen a rethink about fuel costs. I’ve tracked the price of jet-A against rates of airline bankruptcies and it’s a very scary correlation. I would love to break that cycle, and this is all about helping people and communities,” he told FutureFlight.
With expectations for further leaps forward in areas such as batteries, Ampaire has declared itself to be agnostic on available energy sources for future aircraft. Noertker said that by starting with a hybrid-electric approach, the company “has resolved the technology risk [compared with starting with all-electric propulsion] and mitigated it to upgrade existing aircraft.” The fact that hybrid models like the Eco Caravan can enter service using currently available fuel supplies, which increasingly could include SAF, also mitigates risks from complex recharging infrastructure needs.
“We’re taking a crawl, walk, run approach and that’s why we’re starting with [conversions of] existing fleets of aircraft, and will then work with OEMs to make the propulsion system standard on new-build aircraft,” Noertker said. “When we get 10, 20, and 30 years from now there will be multiple [electric-powered] clean-sheet airplanes.”
One of these could be the Tailwind concept design that Ampaire has teased on its website. The company has released no details about this design, which appears to feature an intriguing ducted fan powerplant enclosing the rear of the fuselage and some more ducted fans where the wing meets the top of the fuselage.
“Aviation is the hardest industry to decarbonize,” said Noertker. “Fully-electric aircraft are range limited because of the weight and energy capacity of current-generation batteries. Hybrid-electric aircraft, however, can preserve the range and utility of today’s aircraft. That is why we are focused on hybrid-electric propulsion for a series of increasingly capable regional aircraft. It’s a way for the airline industry to decarbonize more quickly and also to benefit from lower operating costs.”

Science & Technology Editor

Hanneke Weitering

Ampaire's Hybrid-Electric Eco Caravan Makes First Test Flight

Ampaire has received a firm order for 25 Eco Caravans from sustainable regional aircraft financier Monte Aircraft Leasing, the companies said this week. The agreement includes an option for another 25 Eco Caravans and codifies the parties’ “preferred partner” relationship. 
A <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-07-26/ampaire-picks-red-engine-hybrid-electric-eco-caravan">hybrid-electric version</a> of the Cessna Grand Caravan, the Eco Caravan can reduce fuel needs and emissions by as much as 70 percent while preserving payload capability and extended range, according to Ampaire, which also claims the aircraft can achieve carbon-neutral operation when flown on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The aircraft can recharge its batteries in flight, meaning it can use any airport into which Caravans fly today, regardless of ground charging capability. Ampaire also cites a projected 25&nbsp;&nbsp;to 40 percent operating cost improvement over the standard Grand Caravan, depending on the mission. 
“The Eco Caravan is our starting point for a revolution in air travel,” said Ampaire CEO Kevin Noertker. “It brings cost&nbsp;per available seat mile down to the range of driving, benefiting operators and their passengers. It dramatically shrinks the aircraft’s carbon footprint. The propulsion technology is scalable, and we intend to quickly move toward larger regional aircraft and even the single-aisle jet market over time.” 
Now undergoing ground power tests, the nine-passenger Eco Caravan will fly later this year if all goes according&nbsp;to plan. <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-05-13/ampaire-says-caravan-conversion-represents-fast-track-viable-electric">Ampaire</a> expects the upgraded Caravan—the first hybrid-electric aircraft to enter the certification process with the FAA—to win supplemental type certification in 2024. 
The founders of Los Angeles-based <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-04-26/ampaire-seeks-new-funding-hybrid-electric-plans-surf-air-acquisition">Ampaire</a> formed the company in 2016 with a mission to take what they consider the quickest, most capital-efficient approach to making commercial electric air travel possible with available technology. &nbsp;The company claims a series of industry firsts since the 2019 maiden flight of its Electric EEL technology testbed aircraft, including the setting of a record for a hybrid electric aircraft with a 1,135-mile flight from Los Angeles to Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Monte engages in the financing and lease of low- and zero-emission advanced aerial mobility vehicles to regional aircraft operators. The company has set a goal of becoming the world's first carbon-neutral aircraft leasing company by 2027.
“Monte is looking to build a fleet of low-emission and zero-emission aircraft to lease or finance for regional aircraft operators worldwide,” said Monte investment director Timothy Eyre. “Ampaire has emerged as the leading hybrid-electric technology provider. Its Eco Caravan will be very attractive for a segment of our operators, thanks to its wide performance envelope and ability to operate without ground charging infrastructure where necessary.”

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

Ampaire Collects Firm Order for 25 Eco Caravans from Monte Aircraft Leasing

Ampaire and Air France Industries KLM Engineering &amp; Maintenance&nbsp;(AFI KLM E&amp;M) will work together to convert multiple aircraft to electric propulsion. Under a memorandum of understanding signed on October 19, the European airline's technical division will help the Californian start-up to implement supplemental type certificate (STC) upgrades for its planned hybrid-electric EcoCaravan conversion of the Cessna Grand Caravan utility aircraft, as well as working on longer-term plans for larger aircraft.
Earlier this year, Ampaire began work on a hybrid-electric conversion of the 19-passenger DHC-6 Twin Otter, which it markets under the brand name <a href="Ampaire early this year began work on a hybrid-electric conversion of the 19-passenger DHC-6 Twin Otter, which it markets under the brand name EcoOtter SX.">EcoOtter SX</a>.&nbsp;AFI KLM E&amp;M will help the company to train the engineers needed to conduct aircraft conversions around the world , as well as helping with operational data analysis and pooling of components.
By the end of 2022, <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-04-26/ampaire-seeks-new-funding-hybrid-electric-plans-surf-air-acquisition">Ampaire</a> aims to fly its first nine-seat EcoCaravan.&nbsp;Plans call for the EcoCaravan, which Ampaire says is the first hybrid-electric aircraft to enter the FAA certification process, to gain its STC in 2024.&nbsp; The company says it also has ambitions to develop all-electric aircraft.
"Ampaire and AFI KLM E&amp;M will work together to explore maintenance support for game-changing low-emissions aircraft on a worldwide basis,” said Kevin Noertker, founder and CEO of Los Angeles-based Ampaire. “AFI KLM E&amp;M's powerful global network and strong expertise will give operators everywhere high technical confidence in new propulsion systems. These systems will also provide optimized maintenance costs compared to conventional turbines."
According to <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-08-12/how-ampaire-building-its-hybrid-electric-aircraft-strategy">Ampaire</a>, it has&nbsp;achieved a series of industry firsts since the 2019 maiden flight of its Electric EEL technology demonstrator. Its EEL market demonstration aircraft has flown nonstop from Los Angeles to San Francisco and the length of the UK. This year, it flew a 1,135-mile leg en route from Los Angeles to the EAA Air Venture show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Ampaire has used&nbsp;the <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-08-24/uk-flight-trials-accelerate-ampaires-plans-convert-airliners-hybrid">Electric EEL</a> to complete the development of its three-module electric propulsion system (EPS), which consists of an electric motor, a power inverter unit, and a set of batteries. The system drives&nbsp;a single propeller at the front of a converted six-seat Cessna 337 Skymaster, while a Continental IO-550&nbsp;piston engine, mounted on the rear of the aircraft, acts in the original pusher-configuration role.

Air France KLM To Support Ampaire’s Development of 19-seat Electric Aircraft

RED&nbsp;Aircraft is to supply its A03 engine for the powertrain Ampaire is developing to convert Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft to hybrid-electric propulsion. The compression ignition engine will be rated to 405 kW (550 hp) as part of Ampaire’s integral parallel configuration with the electric motors and battery packs, with the A03 providing base power and peak power coming from the electrical system.
Under the terms of a memorandum of understanding signed by the companies on the first day of this week’s EAA AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the partners intend to jointly commercialize the hybrid-electric version of the utility aircraft under the brand name Eco Caravan. Ampaire is developing a family of propulsion systems for applications requiring power ratings of up to 800 hp. RED&nbsp;will develop, certify, and supply a range of engines that can run on both jet-A and sustainable aviation fuel.
According to Ampaire, the <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-05-13/ampaire-says-caravan-conversion-represents-fast-track-viable-electric">converted Grand Caravans</a>, which can be used for a variety of passenger- and freight-carrying services, will consume 70 percent less fuel on shorter trips and 50 percent less on longer flights with corresponding reductions in CO2 emissions. It also said that the A03 engine will deliver twice the thermodynamic efficiency of a comparable turboprop engine and that the Eco Caravan should cut operating costs by 25 to 40 percent.
Over the past couple of years, Ampaire has conducted extensive flight testing with its in-development powertrain using its Electric EEL technology demonstrator platform. The company flew the converted Cessna Skymaster to the Oshkosh show from its headquarters near Los Angeles. The trip included a 1,135-mile sector that it said was the longest-ever nonstop flight by a hybrid-electric aircraft, from Mojave in California to Hays in Kansas.
According to Susan Ying, Ampaire’s senior vice president of global partnerships, the EEL aircraft will have flown more than 15,000 miles by the time it returns from Oshkosh. It has conducted flight trials in Hawaii and also in the <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-08-24/uk-flight-trials-accelerate-ampaires-plans-convert-airliners-hybrid">UK</a>, where Ampaire partnered with regional airlines to evaluate the potential to serve remote communities.
The Eco Caravan is expected to be able to carry&nbsp;11 passengers or 2,500 pounds of cargo on flights of up to 1,100 nm. By comparison, the current production version of Textron’s Grand Caravan seats 10 to&nbsp;13 passengers and has a useful load of 3,692 pounds, with a slightly shorter range of 962 nm.
In April, <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-04-26/ampaire-seeks-new-funding-hybrid-electric-plans-surf-air-acquisition">Ampaire </a>started ground runs with the latest version of the powertrain, and it aims to start flight testing of the first converted Eco Caravan prototype in the second half of this year. Its objective is to secure an FAA supplemental type certificate for the conversion program by 2024.
“The modern, powerful, and ultra-fuel-efficient RED&nbsp;engines have exactly the right characteristics for the Eco Caravan’s hybrid-electric propulsion system and for many other upgrades or all-new designs we may pursue,” said Ampaire CEO Kevin Noertker. “We are very pleased to take this first step in collaboration with a company that shares our goal to decarbonize aviation while reducing costs for aircraft operators and their passengers.”
RED&nbsp;Aircraft is part of <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-08-23/red-aircraft-positions-its-high-performance-piston-engine-hybrid-electric">Raikhlin Engine Developments</a>, which is based at Adenau in Germany. The company produces engines for motorsport and aviation applications, including small commercial aircraft and UAVs.
“RED&nbsp;Aircraft sees enormous potential for hybrid-electric aircraft and believes the Eco Caravan is just the first step to bringing a new level of efficiency and vastly lower emissions to a large swath of aviation,” commented CEO Jürgen Schwarz. “We are thrilled to be pursuing these opportunities hand-in-hand with Ampaire.”

Ampaire

News

Ampaire's Hybrid-Electric Eco Caravan Makes First Test Flight

Ampaire Collects Firm Order for 25 Eco Caravans from Monte Aircraft Leasing

Air France KLM To Support Ampaire’s Development of 19-seat Electric Aircraft

Ampaire Picks RED Engine for Hybrid-Electric Eco Caravan

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN