Beta’s CX300 electric plane takes off just like conventional planes

The CX300 fixed-wing electric plane, which has already logged over 22,000 test miles (35,405 km) and gone through review flights for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification, will be produced and certified by Vermont-based Beta Technologies.

The business has been discreetly developing some incredible zero-emission airplane technology, and it is now proudly showcasing its successes to the world.

Beta is unique in that it tests two prototypes concurrently to acquire twice as much performance data simultaneously, focusing on hovering and wing-borne flight.

Regarding wing-borne flying, Beta Technologies has released fresh information about the CX300, an electric conventional takeoff and landing (cVTOL) aircraft that will complement its eVTOL.

With important milestones already reached, Beta has opened up orders for its fixed-wing electric plane alongside an operation and certification path currently in place.

Beta Technologies intends to certify its CX300 fixed-wing electric plane for customer usage

It anticipates doing so in the next two years, opening its order books to clients who have already made reservations, the company announced today.

According to Beta, it has been flying the eCTOL prototype for the past few years, accomplishing numerous significant goals and displaying encouraging all-electric performance. For instance, the eCTOL has completed qualitative evaluation flights with the FAA, Air Force, and Army test pilots and flown over 22,000 test miles (35,405 km) while crossing various state boundaries. The CX300 is the only electric aircraft that has passed through Class B and C airspace, the busiest in the US. In addition, it has accomplished the longest run of actual electric aircraft flights, covering more than 2,000 nautical miles (40,700 km) from Plattsburgh, New York, to Bentonville, Arkansas, while charging using its own infrastructure.

Beta submitted a Type Certification application to the FAA last year. It is now aiming for 2025 as the anticipated date for approval, followed by the delivery of its first electric planes to businesses, according to the firm, that includes new and existing clients, such as Air New Zealand Bristow. 

The Echols could aid these aviation businesses by serving as all-electric air taxis that can transport people and goods over shorter distances, with a range of up to 386 miles (621 km) in the current CX300 prototypes. The final range estimates for the production eCTOLs are yet unknown.

Furthermore, the Beta team anticipates the CX300 may be authorized under the FAA's current aviation regulations more promptly than atypical eVTOLs since it uses normal takeoff and landing techniques.

Beta Technologies claims it will continue designing and certifying the eCTOL electric plane and the ALIA-250 eVTOL as it completes a new production facility in Vermont, where it intends to do final assembly. The factory will still begin generating this summer as planned.