NASA's all-electric aircraft one step closer to first flight

NASA's X-57 Maxwell, a small, experimental aircraft powered by electricity, is one step closer to its first flight following the successful thermal testing of its cruise motor controllers.

An all-electric experimental aircraft aims to demonstrate the potential of electric aircraft technology and to accelerate the adoption of electric aircraft in the aviation industry.

The X-57 Maxwell is a modified Italian-made Tecnam P2006T aircraft that has been reconfigured with 14 electric motors, including a primary motor located on each wing and 12 smaller motors used for control during takeoff and landing.

The recent thermal testing at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland was important to validate the design, operability, and workmanship quality of the controllers, which are the critical components for providing power to X-57's experimental electric motors, according to a press release by the agency.

During the test, each of the flight motor controllers survived while operating inside a test chamber under the range of temperatures they may encounter during flight with a safety margin applied (minus 11 to 147 degrees Fahrenheit).

Electric cars? Sure. But how about electric planes? Our all-electric X-57 Maxwell aircraft is one step closer to flight after passing extreme heat and cold tests. This experimental @NASAAero plane aims to make flying cleaner, quieter, and more sustainable: https://t.co/TI3DUHw427 pic.twitter.com/QgNddflsP5

— NASA (@NASA) February 6, 2023

What's next?

Now that the aircraft controllers have passed extreme heat and cold tests, the X-57 Maxwell team has moved closer to integrating all of the plane's systems and ensuring that they can work together, which according to NASA is one of the biggest challenges for an aircraft, especially a one-of-a-kind X-plane.

The next significant step prior to conducting research flights is the upcoming Flight Readiness Review at the agency's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.