All systems go: 1st all-electric seaplane takes flight in B.C.
It was a short but historic moment on the Fraser River on Tuesday morning as Vancouver-based Harbour Air completed the debut test flight of what aims to be the world’s first fully electric commercial aircraft.
Harbour Air founder and chief executive Greg McDougall took off solo in the bright yellow retrofitted DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver float plane, spent three minutes in the air over Richmond, B.C., before circling back and landing in front of a roughly 120 assembled onlookers and media.
The exercise is the first in what is expected to be a two-year process to get the e-plane certified for commercial use.
Harbour Air joined with Seattle-based company MagniX to design the e-plane’s propulsion system, which is powered by NASA-approved lithium-ion batteries that were also used on the International Space Station.
The world’s first electric seaplane! <a href=»https://t.co/YBOIAQJIKP»>https://t.co/YBOIAQJIKP</a>
—@HarbourAirLtd
