Canadian seaplane company testing all-electric planes
 

Flying high next month

A Canadian seaplane outfit is set to make history next month, as it tests the world’s first fully-electric commercial aircraft.

Harbour Air will test the seaplane, a De Havilland Beaver retrofitted with a magniX electric motor, on 11 December, weather permitting.

And the company’s founder and CEO Greg McDougall will be at the stick for the historic flight because the flight permit actually includes one test pilot and that’s it.

Harbour Air announced the transition to electric aircraft last spring, which will see aircraft refitted with 750-horsepower all-electric Magni500 propulsion systems.

McDougall said Harbour Air’s operations — which involve mostly short-distance flights — are ideally suited to electric power.

“Most of our routes are within the range of technology that exists today”, said McDougall.

“Having said that, the battery technology is increasing all the time and we know while we’re going through the regulatory process of getting this all approved, the battery technology will improve to the point where there will be a lot more economically viable at the end.”

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