Thursday, August 13, 2026
Heart Aerospace flies X1, the largest electric aircraft yet
Heart Aerospace's all-electric X1 demonstrator completed its first piloted flight on August 12 at Plattsburgh International Airport in New York, a 27-minute flight that reached 1,100 feet and drew over 1 megawatt of power from its propulsion system. At a 106-foot wingspan and more than 25,000 pounds takeoff weight, X1 became the largest battery-electric aircraft ever flown, a milestone feeding into Heart's 30-seat ES-30 regional airliner program, which is targeting type certification in 2031.