Electric cars are becoming more common, but taking that same battery technology to the sky is still relatively a concept. GE Aerospace, however, is close to making that concept work. At the Farnborough International Airshow, the company announced it had flown a hybrid-electric aircraft above 30,000 feet for the first time.

Working with NASA, BETA Technologies, and Boeing, GE Aerospace demonstrated that electric systems can operate at the same high altitudes as conventional commercial planes. Their longest flight in hybrid electric mode lasted over two hours.

“The aviation industry’s first high-altitude hybrid electric flight is one for the history books,” H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., Chairman and CEO of GE Aerospace, said. “GE Aerospace is grateful to NASA, BETA Technologies and Boeing for their collaborative partnership to accelerate hybrid electric technology to meet customer needs for greater efficiency, durability and range.”

Testing a Hybrid Plane

hybrid-electric aircraft
The hybrid-electric aircraft; Photo: GE Aerospace

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For tests, the team modified a Saab 340B aircraft with a custom hybrid electric system inside an inverted nacelle, an external casing that holds equipment, on the right side of the plane to help with cooling. The setup pairs a standard CT7 gas turbine engine with electric motors, power converters, and batteries supplied by BAE Systems.

“This hybrid electric system improved the high-altitude performance and climb capability while creating a flying laboratory to inform all future hybrid designs,” Kyle Clark, Founder and CEO of BETA, said. “The GE Aerospace team brought rigorous design, test and operational expertise. The ground and safe flight test campaigns, capped by a flight across the North Atlantic, is the first of many important milestones for hybrid electric technology.”

Flying into the Future

Flying at 30,000 feet isn’t easy for electric gear because the lower air pressure and intense heat management make it tricky to keep parts safe and reliable. During these tests, however, the electric system helped power the propeller and even recharged its own battery.

“Hybrid electric technologies are durable and efficient,” Mohamed Ali, President and CEO of GE Aerospace Commercial Engines & Services, explained. “By flying a hybrid electric engine system at altitudes never achieved before, we’re proving to our customers and to the industry the advanced capabilities we can bring to next-generation aircraft with ready technologies.”