MagniX unveils retrofit aircraft for NASA electrification programme

Magnix is entering the next phase of its Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration programme (EPFD) with NASA as it unveiled the De Havilland DHC-7 to be retrofitted with its electric powertrains.

The aircraft, which was revealed at a ceremony in Seattle, featured the logos of magniX, NASA, and the provider of the Dash 7, Air Tindi. 

“MagniX and NASA are demonstrating that sustainable flight can be realized with technology that we have available today,” said Ben Loxton, magniX’s vice president of EPFD and Electric Storage Systems (ESS). “The EPFD programme is accelerating its readiness for entry into service, prioritising safety and the highest standards of performance.”

The unveiling is the latest programme milestone in 2024, previous achievements this year include:

• February: magniX successfully achieved the Preliminary Design Review (PDR), establishing the design for the retrofit of the Dash 7 with magniX’s electric powertrains
• April: a magni650 electric engine completed the first phase of testing at the NASA Electric Aircraft Testbed (NEAT) facility in Sandusky, Ohio, confirming the magni650’s exceptional capabilities at altitudes of up to 27,500 feet
• June: baseline flight tests for the Dash 7 concluded, generating important performance data before it is modified with magniX’s technology

In the next phase of EPFD, one of the aircraft’s four turbine engines will be replaced with a magniX electric powertrain, with test flights planned for 2026. The following stage will see a second turbine engine substituted with another magniX powertrain. This configuration is expected to reduce fuel consumption by up to 40%.

“As EPFD makes outstanding progress, magniX and NASA are proving the feasibility of electric propulsion for commercial flight,” said Reed Macdonald, CEO of magniX. “Integrating our game-changing electric powertrains into a regional airliner such as the Dash 7 represents a major step forward in bringing electric solutions into the business of aviation.”   

Robert A. Pearce, associate administrator for NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, added: “We at NASA are excited about EPFD’s potential to make aviation sustainable and more accessible to more U.S. communities. Hybrid electric propulsion on a megawatt scale accelerates U.S. progress toward its goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, benefitting all who rely on air transportation every day.”