At a special unveiling ceremony on August 22, 2024, the public got a first look at magniX’s Dash 7 aircraft, which will serve as a testbed for sustainable aviation research as part of NASA’s Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) project.
At the invitation of magniX at King County International Airport, commonly known as Boeing Field, in Seattle, Washington, senior representatives from NASA and magniX unveiled the research vehicle in its new livery.
EPFD is a collaboration between NASA and industry to demonstrate the potential of electrified aircraft propulsion technologies to reduce emissions from future commercial aircraft in the mid-2030s.
As part of this demonstration, magniX will modify the Dash 7 with a new hybrid electric system to conduct ground and flight tests. NASA will use the data collected during these tests to identify and minimize obstacles to certifying these new technologies and to develop new standards and regulations for future electric aircraft.
“We are a research organization that continues to advance aviation, solve flight problems and lead the community into the future,” said Robert A. Pearce, deputy director of NASA’s Aeronautics Research Directorate. “With our EPFD project, we are taking big steps in partnership to ensure that electric aviation is part of the future of commercial air travel.”
After the aircraft paint job is complete, magniX will begin converting the Dash 7 into a research test bed with a hybrid-electric propulsion system. Flight tests with the new system are planned for 2026.
Photo credit: NASA/David C. Bowman
