Developer of the 36-seat ES-36 series hybrid-electric regional airliner, which replaced the ES-30 in September 2026; its full-scale X1 battery-electric demonstrator flew in August 2026 and Part 25 certification is targeted for 2031.
Propulsion Architecture
Series hybrid-electric regional-aircraft architecture: two 1.65 MW electric motors driving two propellers, powered by batteries and megawatt-class turbogenerators.
Primary Certification Context
Transport-Category Airplane
Strengths
Heart completed the first flight of its full-scale X1 battery-electric demonstrator on 12 August 2026. On 23 September 2026 it unveiled the ES-36 and converted JSX's letter of intent into a deposit-backed order for 50 aircraft plus 50 purchase rights.
Weaknesses / Open Questions
The ES-36 is a new configuration and X1 was built around the earlier ES-30. The turbogenerator supplier, certification-level architecture and status of United and Air Canada commitments are not yet public. The 2031 certification date is a company target.
Last Updated
September 23, 2026
