Bye Aerospace's eFlyer 2 prototype makes maiden flight

Bye Aerospace has flown its full-scale eFlyer 2 prototype for the first time, launching flight testing of the two-seat electric aircraft it is developing for flight training. The aircraft took off on 17 September from Centennial Airport, close to Denver, with chief test pilot Elliot Seguin in command.

The FAA had granted a special airworthiness certificate for the prototype roughly a week earlier. The sortie included a preliminary assessment of handling qualities, aerodynamic behaviour and onboard systems.

"First flights are always significant moments for any new aircraft program," Seguin said in the company's announcement. He added that the eFlyer 2 handled well and that the flight confirmed several years of design and test work by the engineering team.

The prototype is powered by a 125-kW electric motor paired with a magniX Samson battery system. According to magniX, the flight was the first use of its Samson300 battery product in an aircraft. The battery supplies up to 800 volts and has an energy density of 300 watt-hours per kilogram, the company said. Bye chose the Samson system for the prototype in 2025.

Bye says the aircraft offers more than two hours of mission endurance and can recharge in under 30 minutes. It is pursuing certification under Part 23, Amendment 64, and intends to market the aircraft mainly for flight training. Skyborne Airline Academy had earlier increased its commitment to the eFlyer line by signing for 30 additional aircraft.

The test programme will now expand the flight envelope step by step while gathering handling and performance data for certification, the company says. Bye did not provide further details.