Bye Aerospace has completed the first flight of its full-scale eFlyer 2 prototype, beginning flight testing of the two-seat electric aircraft the company is developing for the flight training market.
The aircraft flew from Centennial Airport near Denver on Sept. 17 with Chief Test Pilot Elliot Seguin at the controls. The flight came about a week after the FAA issued a special airworthiness certificate for the prototype and included an initial evaluation of handling qualities, aerodynamic characteristics and aircraft systems.
Electric Trainer Moves Into Flight Test
“First flights are always significant moments for any new aircraft program. This team has worked hard and they will remember this achievement for a long time,” Seguin said in the company’s announcement. “The eFlyer 2 handled well during the flight and validated the work the engineering team has put into designing and testing the aircraft over the past several years. It’s exciting to help advance a platform designed specifically for the future of pilot training.”
The eFlyer 2 uses a 125-kW electric motor and a magniX Samson battery system. MagniX said the flight marked the first use of its Samson300 battery product in an aircraft. The battery provides up to 800 volts and has an energy density of 300 watt-hours per kilogram, according to magniX. Bye selected the Samson system for the prototype in 2025.
Certification Work Continues
Bye says the aircraft has more than two hours of mission endurance and a recharge time of less than 30 minutes. The company is pursuing certification under Part 23, Amendment 64, and plans to market the aircraft primarily for flight training. Skyborne Airline Academy previously expanded its commitment to the eFlyer line by signing for 30 additional aircraft.
The company says the flight-test program will now gradually expand the aircraft’s flight envelope while collecting handling and performance data for certification. Bye has not announced a firm certification or customer delivery date.
