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By Bjorn Fehrm

September 26, 2024, © Leeham News: Heart Aerospace has revised its environmentally friendly aircraft for the third time. The variants started in September 2020, when Heart presented an all-electric, battery-based 19-seat airliner that should test fly by now and be available in 2026, Figure 1, top aircraft.

Two years later, in September 2022, it all changed. The aircraft was changed to a 30-seater with a serial hybrid propulsion system using turboextenders to increase the operational range, Figure 1, aircraft two.

After another 20 months, the configuration changed again to the third iteration in Figure 1, which will fly in prototype in 2026 and be available to airlines in 2029.

In an article series, we explain the reasons for these changes and analyze whether the changes in the aircraft have increased the likelihood of the ES-30 entering the market in 2029.

Figure 1. The Heart Aerospace regional airliner series. Top, the ES-19, then the ES-30, and finally, the revised ES-30. Source: Heart Aerospace.

Summary:

• Heart Aerospace has followed the typical trajectory for an electric aircraft startup.
• It begins with an all-electric, battery-based airliner that will change regional flying.
• Gradually, reality sets in, and all-battery architecture becomes a serial hybrid and, finally, a parallel hybrid.
• We analyze if the evolution trail increases the chances we will fly on Heart Aerospace airliners come 2030.