GE Aerospace hybrid-electric Saab 340B demonstrator completes testing above 30,000 feet
Why It MattersAltitude testing of a hybrid-electric powertrain moves the technology from low-level demonstration toward conditions relevant to commercial operations, a step for any future regional or business-class hybrid propulsion.
GE Aerospace's modified Saab 340B demonstrator, fitted with an integrated hybrid-electric propulsion system, has completed testing above 30,000 feet. The aircraft was developed through the Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration program with NASA, BETA Technologies and Boeing.
The test platform combines an electric powertrain with a conventional gas turbine, allowing the partners to assess propulsion integration under conditions closer to commercial flight. The demonstrator has also completed a hybrid-electric flight lasting more than two hours.
