Raytheon Technologies announced on December 20 it has carried out a "successful first engine run of the company's regional hybrid-electric flight demonstrator".
The run, which was hosted by Raytheon business Pratt & Whitney Canada at its Quebec innovation facility, marked "a key milestone towards flight testing", the statement claimed. Future flight demonstrations, which Raytheon hopes to stage in 2024, are to use a modified De Havilland Canada Dash 8-100 aircraft operated by Canada's Flight Test Centre of Excellence.
The propulsion system used in the test run joins a 1 MW electric motor developed by Collins Aerospace, another Raytheon company, to a Pratt & Whitney fuel engine. Raytheon said the "powerplant technology" means "more efficient engine performance" - with less fuel burn and a potential 30% cut in CO2 emissions compared to the latest turboprops.
The Canadian national and Quebec regional governments have endorsed the Raytheon project, which started in July 2021.