Tough as nails, able to get in and out of small unimproved runways or high mountain lakes, while carrying a ton of freight, ponderously slow and superbly stable, the Beaver led a renaissance in backcountry air service. It also set standards for safety and reliability in the far-flung wilderness of northern North America.

It spread those attributes around the world, achieving previously impossible results from the Sahara to Mount Everest and both poles. There were 1,167 built, and they remain coveted and useful platforms in myriad roles almost 80 years after the first was finished in 1947.

• READ MORE: WWII-Era ‘Philippine Mars’ Transport Seaplane Headed to Arizona Museum

CF-JOS (now C-FJOS) has toiled most of its life on British Columbia’s rugged West Coast, initially as a lifeline for loggers, miners, and anglers, and most recently, as one of dozens of Beavers providing scheduled floatplane passenger service for Harbour Air Seaplanes between Vancouver and Seattle and about a dozen coastal communities. 

C-FJOShas been written off twice and rebuilt (Beavers are often rebuilt from the data plate alone), has tens of thousands of hours and a million stories, including its own electrifying one. Now, at 68 years old, this seemingly vintage aircraft sits at the forefront of a massive technological renaissance in air travel. 

In 2019, Harbour Air fitted C-FJOS with a magniX electric motor, batteries, and control system, and it has since accumulated more than 78 flights. Based on the experience of the past four years with C-FJOS, Harbour Air has ordered 50 electric propulsion systems from magniX to convert its whole fleet of Beavers and will likely become the first airline to use electric power in scheduled passenger service, possibly by 2026.

In doing so, the chunky, awkward-looking, sheet-metal creation of another era will climb slowly past sleekly modern multicopters and other futuristic designs to serve the market the new aircraft were supposed to generate.

It’s a story of innovation tempered with practicality that is a common thread in the development of aviation as it takes on a future that demands a nimble and responsible industry.

The original Beaver was a fuel hog whose radial engine spewed so much oil in normal operation that de Havilland put an oil filler spout in the cockpit so the sump could be replenished in flight. That unrestrained use of petroleum products is receiving considerable scrutiny these days and the public, through its governments and regulators, want an aviation industry that can get it anywhere on earth in less than a day without beating up the planet.

• READ MORE: Elfly Adds Facilities at Torp Airport to Build Fjord-Hopping Electric Seaplane

It’s a tall order. It takes a lot of energy to hoist a few hundred people to 35,000 feet and move them thousands of miles. But progress is being made, and the goal of making aviation a net-zero-carbon creator by 2050 is considered doable.

Electric aviation is just part of that solution. Hybrid systems using hydrogen show promise, but it’s unlikely that hydrocarbon-fueled aircraft will become obsolete anytime soon. But with developments in the production of sustainable aviation fuels, much of it from agricultural waste and overcapacity, they can be made much better for the environment.

The quest for environmental stewardship in aviation has already paid dividends. The latest  aircraft engines are up to 30 percent more fuel efficient and have the side benefit of being much quieter than previous generations because noise is the sound of energy being wasted.

The environmental shift is also leading to a change in aircraft design philosophy, although it’s fair to say that most of the futuristic designs on the drawing boards are nothing new. 

The physics of flight are well understood, and the blended bodies and truss-braced wing concepts now being explored are the results of technology catching up to those seemingly radical designs.

In the longer term, there are concepts that seem right out of science fiction that are being seriously studied. One that stands out is using nuclear fusion to power aircraft.

• READ MORE: Connecticut Airport Keeping Seaplanes on the River

But if that sounds ridiculously far-fetched (and by the way the concept of nuclear-powered aircraft emerged in the late 1950s), imagine telling one of the folks at de Havilland in 1956 building CF-JOS that it would fly on electric power. 

The plane was built at the height of the Beaver’s popularity. Orders were pouring in from all over the world, and its many innovative and performance features for the time made it a state-of-the-art aircraft.

Creativity and big ideas have always driven aviation, and there’s no sign of that letting up. But what’s interesting and different about the industry is that when something is developed that just plain works, its life is practically endless through continuous improvement. Just ask a Harbour Air pilot, or the crew of a B-52, which is about the same age as a Beaver and is forecast to have a service life of 100 years.

This feature first appeared in the Summer 2024 Ultimate Issue print edition.

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On August 10, 2023, a ceremony was held to announce the mission has been accomplished. The new dock and seaplane terminal are open, and flights for the public begin this weekend.

Celebration

Tribal council members and dignitaries arrived at the welcoming ceremony aboard a Kenmore Air 1955 de Havilland DHC-3 Turbine Otter. The airplane is the backbone of the Kenmore fleet. This particular aircraft, N90422, is decorated with a Native American salmon design that honors the Puyallup Tribe.

Puyallup Tribal Council Chairman Bill Sterud noted how moving it is to see the tribal lands from the air. For millennia the Puyallup Tribe lived along the shore of what is now the South Puget Sound, living off shellfish, native plants, and the all-important salmon. Today, the Puyallup Tribe is a sovereign nation of more than 5,000 members, and is one of the largest employers in Pierce County. The Tribe’s businesses include the Emerald Queen Hotel and Casino in Fife, billed as the entertainment capital of the northwest. The tribe name is pronounced “pew-AWL-up,” and means “generous people” or “welcoming people.”

The opening ceremony was held next to the dock and began with a traditional Native American prayer, followed by a traditional song and dance.

The dock and restaurant are located on Ruston Way along the Tacoma waterfront bordering Commencement Bay. Ruston Way is a wide, walkable path that hugs the shoreline for approximately 2.5 miles. In addition to spectacular views of the Sound and sometimes the sealife (today a pair of seals made an appearance), the path is interspersed with historical markers, sculptures, mosaics, and poems carved into the pavement.

Giving Thanks to All

Sterud noted that the seaplane dock and restaurant terminal would not have happened without a great deal of work and cooperation between the Puyallup Tribe, and local, state, and national representatives, the FAA, and Kenmore Air.

After the ceremony, the media were offered scenic flights, flown by Kenmore Air chief pilot Jay Todhunter. I scrambled into the right seat of the cockpit (my natural habitat) and donned the headsets the passengers wear on the flight to listen to a recorded tour of the area. The audio points out landmarks and gives a brief history of them, for example during the flight over the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, the narrator talks about “Galloping Gertie,” the name given to the bridge when it was torn apart in a windstorm on November 7, 1940.

Kenmore Air is synonymous with floatplanes and the Puget Sound and has been so for more than 75 years. Traditionally, Kenmore Air’s scenic flight season runs from April until the middle of October. This year, flights from the south sound seaplane base will begin August 11 until October 15. Each flight will last about 20 minutes and show off some famous landmarks and aerial views that have made the area famous, such as the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, Point Defiance Park, Vashon Island, Commencement Bay, and Mount Rainier.

According to Kenmore Air officials, the aircraft will be making several scenic flights a day from the dock along the Ruston Way waterfront. The terminal was built in a building that until the pandemic, contained a restaurant. There is a comfortable waiting area, and the building will also house a restaurant operated by world-renowned Chef Roy Yamaguchi.

READ MORE: Building the Dream Beaver for Future Generations

In addition to scenic flights from its Seattle base, Kenmore also offers trips to the San Juan Islands and Victoria, B.C. Company officials note it’s possible that in the future, the South Sound base might provide access to those destinations as well.

For more information or to purchase tickets: kenmoreair.com

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The company replaced one of the engines on its de Havilland Dash 8-300 twin turboprop airliner with a hydrogen fuel cell electric powertrain. The flying testbed recently completed taxi testing to evaluate its ground handling qualities and the performance of its fuel-cell electric powertrain at low power settings and airspeeds, the company said.

• READ MORE: ATR 72 Hydrogen-Electric Demonstrator Unveiled

The power system in the Dash 8 is similar to a conversion kit that Universal makes for the ATR 72-600 regional airliner. The company said it expects the kits to be “certified and in commercial passenger service starting in 2025.” The Dash 8 is slated to make its first flight soon, during the first quarter of this year, at Grant County International Airport (KMWH) in Moses Lake, Washington.

Late last year Universal tested a modular hydrogen delivery system at its engineering center in Toulouse, France. The system is designed to eliminate the need for complex and expensive new fueling infrastructure to handle the zero-emission fuel.

“We are simultaneously providing a pragmatic, near-term solution for hydrogen infrastructure and delivery, as well as for converting existing passenger aircraft to use this lightweight, safe, and true-zero-emissions fuel,” said Paul Eremenko, co-founder and CEO of Universal Hydrogen. “Today’s milestones are essential, important steps to putting the industry on a trajectory to meet Paris Agreement obligations. The only alternative is curtailing aviation traffic growth to curb emissions,” he said.

The post FAA Grants Universal Hydrogen Approval To Test Fuel-Cell-Powered Aircraft appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The actuator is part of the aircraft’s pitch control. If the actuator is compromised, the aircraft can enter an uncommanded climb or descent from which the pilot cannot recover.

• READ MORE: Seaplane Wreckage Found in Puget Sound

The 10-page report notes that when approximately 85 percent of the wreckage was retrieved from the ocean floor, the upper portion of the broken actuator was found still attached to the horizontal stabilizer, while the lower portion was attached to its mount in the fuselage.

The separation of the actuator happened when a clamp nut that threads into a barrel section had unthreaded.

The report reads: “Examination of the threads inside the barrel and the threads on the clamp nut revealed that the two components separated by unthreading (that is, rotation of the barrel and/or clamp nut) as opposed to being pulled apart in tension. The upper portion of the actuator remained attached to the horizontal stabilizer, and the lower portion remained attached to its mount in the fuselage.”

A lock ring is supposed to prevent unthreading. The lock ring was not located in the wreckage, however, it was observed that three of five holes drilled in the clamp nut to accept the lock ring were damaged in such a way that they would not allow for full insertion of the lock ring.

“Further, it might be difficult to visually determine if the lock ring is fully engaged in the clamp nut hole depending on conditions such as lighting, viewing angle, and the presence of dirt or grease,” the report said.

According to preliminary information from the operator, the most recent overhaul of the horizontal stabilizer actuator was completed on April 21, 2022.

The NTSB notes the actuator is the only means to hold the horizontal stabilizer in its position, and the lock ring keeps the assembly from unthreading. Unthreading of the clamp nut and the barrel during flight would result in a free-floating horizontal stabilizer, allowing it to rotate uncontrollably (trailing edge up or down) about its hinge, resulting in a possible loss of airplane control.

The report concludes that the NTSB has not determined if the lock ring was installed before the airplane impacted the water or why the lock ring was not present during the airplane examination.

The NTSB is working with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada to ask the manufacturer to draft instructions for an inspection of the actuator to ensure that the lock ring is in place and properly engaged to prevent unthreading of the clamp nut. 

“Those instructions will be released and provided to all operators of the DHC-3 airplane worldwide in a Service Letter,” the NTSB said.

The aircraft was registered to Northwest Seaplanes, a Part 135 operation. The aircraft was on a flight between Friday Harbor Seaplane Base (W33) and Renton Municipal Airport (KRNT) at the time of the accident. It was the pilot’s second flight of the day.

• READ MORE: FAA Issues Emergency AD for de Havilland Otters

There was no report of a distress call from the pilot before the aircraft went down in Mutiny Bay off Whidbey Island in Washington. According to witnesses, the aircraft was flying at an altitude of approximately 600 feet above the surface when it suddenly plunged into the water, killing all 10 people on board.

It took more than a week to find the wreckage under the water. Only six of the bodies have been recovered.

Approximately two weeks ago, the FAA released the emergency AD  focusing on the tail assemblies of DHC-3. Transport Canada issued a similar AD more than four years ago in response to corrosion found on DHC-3 tail assemblies. The AD established a requirement for inspecting the aircraft’s elevators for corrosion, which can lead to structural failure and result in an uncommanded nose-down pitch moment.

• READ MORE: FAA Under Scrutiny for Timing of DHC-3 AD

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Nine adults and one child were onboard the de Havilland DHC-3 Turbine Otter that went down September 4 in Mutiny Bay off Whidbey Island. The aircraft was registered to Northwest Seaplanes, a Part 135 operation. The aircraft was on a flight between Friday Harbor Seaplane Base (W33) and Renton Municipal Airport (KRNT). It was the pilot’s second flight of the day. 

The pilot had been employed with the company since 2013, and was reported to have a total of 4,686 flight hours as of May 31, 2022. The pilot’s total experience in the DHC-3 has not been determined as of yet. There is no record of the pilot making a distress call.

NTSB Looking at Flight Track

The NTSB used FAA tracking data to chronicle the Otter’s flight path, altitude and airspeed in the minutes before the crash.

According to the data the en route altitude was between 650 and 975 ft msl, and the groundspeed was between 115 and 125 knots. The aircraft had been in the air for about half an hour when the altitude and airspeed began to fluctuate.

15:08:43 Altitude increases to 1,125 ft, groundspeed reduced to 109 knots.

1508:49 Altitude decreased to 875 ft, groundspeed reduced to 100 knots. 

15:08:51 Altitude of 700 ft and groundspeed of 55 knots; data terminates.

There were several witnesses to the crash. Some noted the aircraft was “in level flight before it entered a slight climb, then pitched down in a near-vertical descent until it impacted water in Mutiny Bay.”

Other witnesses said the aircraft was  “spinning,” “rotating,” or “spiraling” during portions of the steep descent. One witness reported hearing the engine/propeller noise and noted that he did not hear any “pitch change” in the noise.

Witnesses told local television stations that the impact was loud, and sent up a large plume of water.

Boaters who saw the aircraft go in rushed to the scene, hoping to find survivors. There were none. The body of one of the passengers, a 29-year-old woman, was pulled from the water. The rest of the passengers have not been accounted for.  A few pieces of debris including seat cushions, part of a seatbelt, and part of the cabin floor were recovered. The first persons to reach the crash site also reported the strong odor of fuel.

Mx and Weather

The NTSB noted the airplane’s most recent 100-hour inspection was performed on September 1, 2022. The inspection included addressing two recurring airworthiness directives; one for the control column lower assembly, and one for the elevator control tabs. The left-hand rudder retract cable was replaced during the 100-hour. 

The previous 100-hour inspection was performed on August 16, 2022. That 100-hour inspection addressed the recurring ADs and in addition, there was the replacement of the horizontal stabilizer hinge bolts, a right-hand engine ignitor, and a left-hand float locker latch.

The Otter was not required to be equipped with a flight data recorder, however it did have a King 560 enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS), which, according to the NTSB, can retain some parametric flight data; however, the unit was not crash protected.

The weather at the time of the accident was VFR, however, the NTSB noted that other pilots flying in the vicinity at the time of the accident reported turbulence and a scattered layer of clouds at approximately 2,300 feet.

Recovery Begins Next Week

The wreckage of the seaplane was located on September 12 through the coordinated efforts of the NTSB, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the University of Washington’s Applied Physics Laboratory using side scan sonar, multi-beam sonar, and 3D instruments.

Because of the depth and the underwater currents, the U.S. Navy will be assisting the NTSB with the recovery process using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). The ROVs will be used to verify that the object captured by sonar is indeed the aircraft, then a barge and a crane will be put into place for the recovery. The process is expected to begin September 26.

The Navy states, “Once the barge is outfitted and in place, it will be a 24/7 operation. The crane will lift the aircraft wreckage pieces. The ROV will work on the seafloor collecting smaller pieces of wreckage into baskets and connecting the wreckage to the crane to be lifted.”

The NTSB final report on the accident is not expected to be available for a year to 18 months.

The post NTSB Releases Preliminary Report on Seattle Seaplane Accident, Including Witness Accounts appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

There were nine adults and one child on board. The body of one of the adults, 29-year-old Gabby Hanna from Seattle, was found in the water moments after the crash. The rest of the victims are still missing.

The wreckage was located through the coordinated efforts of the NTSB, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the University of Washington’s Applied Physics Laboratory using side scan sonar, multibeam sonar, and 3D instruments.

Authorities used the aircraft’s last known position, along with information on local tides and currents to determine the search area, which was reported to be a 1.75 by 0.75-mile square.

The university’s vessel scanned the area identified from the NOAA multibeam data, and according to the NTSB, “Using all available data, investigators concluded the targets they identified were from the aircraft.”

The images from the floor of the Puget Sound show a long object that may be the fuselage, some 190 feet below the surface. The images do not have much detail, and as of yet, a detailed inspection has not been made of the site.

The NTSB stated, “Due to the depth of the water (100-200 feet) and the current (3-5 knots), the most suitable tool for visual confirmation is a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). NTSB is coordinating with our federal partners and private companies to use an ROV in the search.”

The NTSB does not have a date on when the ROV will be deployed.

How It Happened 

The Turbine Otter went down en route from Friday Harbor to Renton. The altitude normally flown by seaplanes along this route is approximately 600 feet above the surface. The aircraft was approximately half-way through the flight.

According to a tweet from Flightradar24, the last ADS-B signal from the Otter was at 22:08 UTC and the aircraft was showing a descent of 7,744 fpm.

We are following reports of plane crash in Mutiny Bay, north of Seattle. The aircraft involved is a 55 years old de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter with registration N725TH. We received last signal at 22:08 UTC. It was indicating a vertical speed of -7744 fpmhttps://t.co/XDBLgGLF5s pic.twitter.com/bwEhxC5FQk

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) September 4, 2022

There are no reports of the pilot issuing a distress call.

Witnesses to the accident told local television stations that the aircraft hit the water in a vertical attitude. The impact was loud and it sent up a large plume of water.

The Coast Guard searched the area for more than 20 hours, from both the air and water hoping for survivors, but none were found.

• READ MORE: Mutiny Bay Seaplane Accident 

During the search, small pieces of plastic and fuel-soaked foam along with a 6-foot-by-18-inch piece of the fuselage with the aircraft tail number N725TH were recovered, along with a few personal items that were believed to have belonged to the occupants of the aircraft.

The NTSB preliminary report on the accident has not yet been compiled. In many cases, the final report is not available for a year to 18 months

Northwest Seaplanes posted on its Facebook page: “The team at Northwest Seaplanes is heartbroken, we don’t know any details yet regarding the cause of the accident. We are working with the FAA, NTSB, and [Coast Guard]. We have been in communication with the families. We are praying for the families involved, including our pilot and his family.”

The company had no comment on the news the wreckage had been located, however, on its Facebook page the company thanked the community for their outpouring of support, and noted a GoFundMe page has been created for the family of pilot Jason Winters.

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On Wednesday, the so-called eBeaver made its first point-to-point flight—a 45 sm journey from Harbour Air’s terminal adjacent to Vancouver International Airport (CYVR) to Pat Bay, near Victoria International Airport (CYYJ). After landing, the eBeaver had ample reserve battery power remaining, Harbour Air said. 

The Harbour Air experimental eBeaver has been converted to a lithium-ion-battery-enabled 750-hp all-electric motor manufactured by Seattle-based magniX. The airline aims to achieve certification to begin all-electric commercial flights with passengers as soon as next year.

“I am excited to report that this historic flight on the eplane went exactly as planned,” said Kory Paul, a Harbour Air test pilot and vice president of flight operations. “Our team as well as the team at magniX and Transport Canada are always closely monitoring the aircraft’s performance, and today’s flight further proved the safety and reliability of what we have built.’’

Yesterday, Harbour Air's ePlane completed it's first ever point to point flight with the support of magniX! Congrats to everyone making history yet again! We are proud and honored to be a part of the innovators in the Electric Aviation industry changing the world for the better. pic.twitter.com/HjS2oVdfZO

— magniX (@magniX) August 18, 2022

Harbour Air has been pioneering development of all-electric flight since the first successful eBeaver flight test in 2019. The company operates a de Havilland fleet of Beavers, DHC-3 Otters, and DHC-6 Twin Otters to carry local commuters and tourists.

Some exciting buzz from our ePlane team! On Aug 17, our ePlane completed its first ever point-to-point test flight! A smooth takeoff from the Fraser River in Richmond & landing at Patricia Bay. A momentous test flight for the [log]books! Learn more here: https://t.co/knosBLVMEz pic.twitter.com/IUxhvQAH2o

— Harbour Air Seaplanes (@HarbourAirLtd) August 18, 2022

The airline—which carries more than 500,000 passengers on 30,000 commercial flights per year—has set a goal to eventually convert its entire fleet to all-electric aircraft. 

The post Harbour Air Makes First Point-to-Point Flight with Electric Beaver appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

On Tuesday, the partners announced plans to build a new dock and terminal on property purchased by the Tribe along Ruston Way in Tacoma. The land was once inhabited by the Puyallup Tribe. For generations, they existed off salmon, shellfish, and native plants. Today, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians is a sovereign nation of more than 5,000 members and is one of the largest employers in Pierce County, Washington. The name, pronounced “pew-AWL-up,” means “generous people.” 

According to Matt Wadhwani, CFO for the tribe, the partnership has been a year in the making, noting that it was important that tribal concerns aligned with the values of Kenmore Air.

Wadhwani says the partnership will also create job opportunities for tribal members, which is one of the goals with tribal developments such as the Emerald Queen Casino and luxury hotel in Tacoma.

“With all of our developments creating jobs for tribal members and training them is key,” he said. “Kenmore Air was very supportive,” 

Wadhwani notes there are many training opportunities to be had such as aircraft maintenance, operating the terminal and flight training.

He notes Kenmore’s presence in the South Sound will likely be appreciated by the traveling community who will no longer will have to drive all the way to north Seattle to get a Kenmore Air flight in one of the company’s iconic de Havilland Beavers on floats.

The enthusiasm is echoed by Todd Banks, president of Kenmore Air. 

“We are honored to work with the Puyallup Tribe and thrilled to bring seaplane service to the homelands of the Puyallup people and to South Puget Sound,” he said. 

Kenmore Air has been serving the Pacific Northwest for 75 years, with floatplane tours and commuter runs to the San Juan Islands and British Columbia.

The seaplane dock will be built next to the Ram, a popular waterfront restaurant. A second building which contained another restaurant until the pandemic, is being renovated to house a new Native/internationally inspired restaurant by world-renowned Chef Roy Yamaguchi. Both the new restaurant and seaplane terminal are on target to begin operations in late 2023.

Ruston Way is located along the Tacoma waterfront bordering Commencement Bay. The street contains a wide, walkable path that hugs the shoreline for approximately 2.5 miles. In addition to spectacular views of the Sound and the mountains in the distance, the path is interspersed with historical markers, sculptures, mosaics and poems carved into the pavement.

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“We’ve been hunkered down for two years. It’s time to go out and have some fun—or better yet, go to the Butchart Gardens in Victoria and see them!” says Todd Banks, president and CEO of Kenmore Air.

The flights to Canada were suspended in March 2020 when the border was closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kenmore Air will resume air service between Seattle and Victoria, British Columbia, on April 1. On May 1, service resumes between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia. 

This has been made possible, says Banks, by the reopening of Canadian airports. They were closed in March 2020 by Transport Canada (the Canadian aviation authority, akin to the FAA) as a means of controlling the spread of COVID.

The NOTAM expired earlier this month.

“The airports are reopening in a phased approach,” Banks explains. “Kenmore Air will begin two flights per day, then ramp up the schedule as more customers show up during tourist season. We are adjusting, waking up our organization thoughtfully and safely.”

By June, the company aims to have four flights a day between Seattle and Victoria and Vancouver.

What You Need to Go

The COVID testing requirements for travelers between Canada and Washington state were also recently relaxed, so travelers do not need to show proof of a recent negative COVID test, but they must show proof of a vaccine.

Customers are also required to have a current passport. Banks suggests using the ArriveCAN app that allows the user to put in their vaccination information and passport information.

Masks will still have to be worn on the aircraft as Kenmore is a Part 135 operation and required to follow FAA requirements on masking. Masks are still required on public transportation.

Why This Matters

Kenmore Air, with its iconic de Havilland DHC-2 Beavers on floats are as much a symbol of the Pacific Northwest as the Space Needle, Mount Rainier, or the orca. Banks grandfather, Robert Munro, founded the company with two friends in 1946. 

For residents of the Pacific Northwest, the increase in the number of the Kenmore Beavers on floats taking off and landing on Lake Washington either heading to or coming from someplace is a sure sign of spring. 

Banks notes the company performs engine overhauls for Beavers in addition to scheduled and charter operations. In the less flying intensive months, the maintenance team stays very busy.

To make a reservation or to take advantage of one of Kenmore’s air tours or trips in Washington state, visit the Kenmore Air website.

The post Kenmore Air to Resume Flights to British Columbia appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Once terms of the deal are finalized, de Havilland Canada will have the option to purchase 50 ZeroAvia hydrogen-electric engines, ZeroAvia shared in a statement Tuesday.

Linefit and Retrofit Program

The linefit program is being designed to serve de Havilland’s Dash 8-400 turboprop aircraft, which is currently operated by more than 600 customers. The companies plan to develop a service bulletin for the equipment’s type certificate for new aircraft to use the ZeroAvia’s 2MW+ powertrain (ZA2000).

Demonstrator Model 

To test its capabilities, the companies will work together on a demonstrator model that they hope to use to speed up the certification process and appeal to customers. It will also be used to aid in route selection, and which these companies hope to be available commercially by 2027.

Developing Engine, Airframe & Customer Synergy

“Partnering with de Havilland Canada puts ZeroAvia on a defined pathway to line-fitting into new airframes and signals OEM appetite to make the switch to certified, zero-emission propulsion as soon as possible,” ZeroAvia CEO Val Miftakhov said in the same statement.

This announcement follows early news this week that United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAL) and Alaska Airlines (NYSE: ALK) each contributed toward a $35 million fund raise for ZeroAvia. United also announced that it planned to buy as many as 100 engines from the manufacturer.

In October, the Alaska Air Group entered a development agreement with ZeroAvia for its powertrains to be used on its Dash 8-400. The de Havilland Canada MOU will improve ZeroAvia’s ability to deploy its powertrain close to its timeline.

Dave Riggs, chief transformation officer for de Havilland Canada called the partnership a “climate-friendly” option for their customers.

ZeroAvia is initially targeting 500-mile range, 10- to-20-seat aircraft that can be used across all commercial market segments. The company suggested that these funds raised will allow it to begin working toward the 40-to-80-seat aircraft segment, first for turboprops in 2026, and then regional jets by 2028.

For its ZA600 program, ZeroAvia hopes to fly a 19-seat aircraft in a hybrid configuration in weeks to come, and fly a hydrogen-electric power aircraft in 2022. 

For its ZA2000 program, the goal is to complete full-thrust ground demonstrations of 1.8MW engines in 2022, earn certification of ZA2000 engines on 40-to-80 seat, 700 nm aircraft by 2026 and extend the ZA2000 application to 90 aircraft by 2027.

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