Heart Aerospace has announced the completion of the maiden flight of its X1 earlier this week. The demonstrator aircraft features a wingspan of 32.3 metres, a length of 23.2 metres, a height of 7.3 metres, and a take-off weight of approximately 11,340 kilogrammes. With these specifications, the Los Angeles-based developer hails it as “the largest battery-electric aircraft ever to have flown.”
The flight took place on Wednesday, 12 August 2026, at a test site at Plattsburgh International Airport, a regional airport in the northern part of New York State. According to Heart Aerospace, the manned flight lasted 27 minutes and reached an altitude of 335 metres. The electric powertrain delivered a power output of over one megawatt during the flight.
The flight was conducted under a “Special Airworthiness Certificate in the Experimental Category” (SAC-EC) issued by the US aviation authority, the FAA. The test included taxiing, take-off, climb, in-flight manoeuvres, and landing.
“With the first flight of X1, Heart Aerospace has demonstrated electric flight at the scale of a commercial airliner,” said Anders Forslund, Founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace. “Electric commercial aircraft have the potential to fundamentally reshape airline economics and, ultimately, lower the cost of air travel for passengers. This is at the heart of our vision for abundant air travel, with electrification enabling more affordable, frequent, and cleaner air service to and from airports closer to home.”
