By Dayna Fedy-MacDonald | July 26, 2023 Estimated reading time 4 minutes, 6 seconds.
Diamond Aircraft’s all-electric eDA40 trainer achieved a significant milestone on July 20, 2023, as it successfully completed its maiden flight at the company’s headquarters in Wiener Neustadt, Austria.
The eDA40, a derivative of the certified DA40 platform, is set to become the first EASA/FAA Part 23 certified electric airplane equipped with a direct current (DC) fast charging system. Designed as an electric circuit trainer, the aircraft is powered by Safran Electrical & Power’s ENGINeUS 100 electric smart motor, and is charged using Electric Power Systems’ (EPS’s) battery module, which incorporates the DC fast charging system.
The successful maiden flight, piloted by Diamond’s head of flight test, Sören Pedersen, covered system checks, essential maneuvers, and initial performance evaluations. The results met and even surpassed expectations, according to Diamond Aircraft Austria’s CEO, Liqun (Frank) Zhang.
“We are very much looking forward to offering an exceptional sustainable aircraft for the flight training market of tomorrow,” he added.
Safran’s ENGINeUS 100 electric motor, at its peak output, offers a power density of five kilowatts per kilogram, covering the 100- to 180-kW range. Additionally, the ENGINeUS 100 features a fully integrated motor controller with air cooling for efficient thermal management. According to Safran, the electric motor is on track to achieve EASA certification in early 2024.
The company’s executive vice president and general manager of the power division, Bruno Bellanger, said Safran Electrical & Power is “very excited to take part in the eDA40 first flight, along with Diamond Aircraft, as it is the first time our ENGINeUS electric motors and the electrical protection system will fly on an all-electric aircraft. Participating in the electrification of the DA40, a proven aircraft and a best seller, has been a thrilling technical challenge.”
EPS, which is providing the lightweight and cost-effective battery module for the eDA40, is an expert in certifiable energy storage systems. EPS currently has numerous battery systems powering customer flight demonstrator vehicles, including Boeing’s Cargo Air Vehicle, Ampaire’s Eco Caravan, and Bell’s Nexus advanced air mobility aircraft, to name a few.
Nathan Millecam, CEO of EPS, expressed his enthusiasm for the eDA40 project, saying it “ushers in a new era of electric propulsion that solves an immediate problem in both an economical and sustainable way. . . . We are showing the industry how electric propulsion can be implemented in aviation.”
The all-electric single-engine eDA40 — which is equipped with a standard Garmin G1000 NXi glass cockpit — is anticipated to have 40 percent lower operating costs than traditional piston aircraft. Diamond says that as battery technology evolves, the eDA40 trainer is eventually expected to fly for up to 90 minutes on a single charge. Moreover, the DC fast charging system is capable of recharging a depleted aircraft in under 20 minutes.
Diamond is expecting certification of the eDA40 at the end of 2023/beginning of 2024.
