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Listen "Solving Aviation’s Battery Problem"
Episode Synopsis
Electrification is coming to aviation, but Ampaire’s CEO Kevin Noertker says the practical near-term path is hybrid-electric, not fully electric. In Hangar X, he explains how Ampaire shifted from bold sci-fi concepts to a certifiable retrofit strategy, proven in rugged deployments.
Episode Highlights
Big belief: Electrification will transform aviation like it did cars.
Pivot to hybrid: Full-electric retrofits proved the tech, but hybrids were faster to certify and sell.
Infrastructure bottleneck: Hawaii showed charging networks lag aircraft readiness.
How it saves fuel: Cruise-optimized combustion + electric boost for takeoff/climb.
Cert progress: FAA hybrid-engine certification + Eco Caravan STC path.
Safety gain: Dual power sources add graceful-degradation resilience.
Key Points with Timestamps
Why electrification is inevitable — Ampaire’s founding insight.
[00:00:00 – 00:03:34]
Original “North Star” vision — fully electric VTOL supersonic jet → unpacked into steps.
[00:06:15 – 00:07:31]
Why hybrid beats full-electric (for now) — certify propulsion first, avoid aircraft redesign loops.
[00:07:31 – 00:09:34]
Retrofit lessons + Hawaii “aha” — planes ready before charging was.
[00:07:31 – 00:13:32]
Hybrid architecture (H570) — integrated parallel hybrid on one prop shaft.
[00:18:10 – 00:21:37]
Fuel savings mechanics — ~50% cruise, up to ~70% takeoff/climb.
[00:21:37 – 00:25:31]
Certification roadmap — engine cert + Caravan STC, aiming mid-2027.
[00:25:31 – 00:27:47]
Scaling plan — same stack for regional, cargo, GA, drones, defense.
[00:27:47 – 00:30:28]
Guest Bio
Kevin Noertker is co-founder/CEO of Ampaire, developing hybrid-electric propulsion to cut emissions and costs in regional aviation. Ex-Northrop Grumman, NOAA satellite work, NASA JPL research; Caltech graduate.
About Speedbird Ampaire
Ampaire is a California aviation company building hybrid-electric propulsion and retrofit aircraft for existing turboprop fleets. Its flagship AMP-H570 “AmpDrive” combines a Jet-A piston engine with an electric motor/battery boost, flying on the Eco Caravan (hybrid Cessna Grand Caravan). The strategy targets near-term fuel and emissions cuts without depending on charging infrastructure.
Notable Quotes
“Electrification… is going to transform aviation.”
“Designing a new airplane around immature propulsion guarantees redesign.”
“Charging infrastructure will be slow to proliferate.”
“Our launch product must be self-charging and infrastructure-independent.”
Episode Highlights
Big belief: Electrification will transform aviation like it did cars.
Pivot to hybrid: Full-electric retrofits proved the tech, but hybrids were faster to certify and sell.
Infrastructure bottleneck: Hawaii showed charging networks lag aircraft readiness.
How it saves fuel: Cruise-optimized combustion + electric boost for takeoff/climb.
Cert progress: FAA hybrid-engine certification + Eco Caravan STC path.
Safety gain: Dual power sources add graceful-degradation resilience.
Key Points with Timestamps
Why electrification is inevitable — Ampaire’s founding insight.
[00:00:00 – 00:03:34]
Original “North Star” vision — fully electric VTOL supersonic jet → unpacked into steps.
[00:06:15 – 00:07:31]
Why hybrid beats full-electric (for now) — certify propulsion first, avoid aircraft redesign loops.
[00:07:31 – 00:09:34]
Retrofit lessons + Hawaii “aha” — planes ready before charging was.
[00:07:31 – 00:13:32]
Hybrid architecture (H570) — integrated parallel hybrid on one prop shaft.
[00:18:10 – 00:21:37]
Fuel savings mechanics — ~50% cruise, up to ~70% takeoff/climb.
[00:21:37 – 00:25:31]
Certification roadmap — engine cert + Caravan STC, aiming mid-2027.
[00:25:31 – 00:27:47]
Scaling plan — same stack for regional, cargo, GA, drones, defense.
[00:27:47 – 00:30:28]
Guest Bio
Kevin Noertker is co-founder/CEO of Ampaire, developing hybrid-electric propulsion to cut emissions and costs in regional aviation. Ex-Northrop Grumman, NOAA satellite work, NASA JPL research; Caltech graduate.
About Speedbird Ampaire
Ampaire is a California aviation company building hybrid-electric propulsion and retrofit aircraft for existing turboprop fleets. Its flagship AMP-H570 “AmpDrive” combines a Jet-A piston engine with an electric motor/battery boost, flying on the Eco Caravan (hybrid Cessna Grand Caravan). The strategy targets near-term fuel and emissions cuts without depending on charging infrastructure.
Notable Quotes
“Electrification… is going to transform aviation.”
“Designing a new airplane around immature propulsion guarantees redesign.”
“Charging infrastructure will be slow to proliferate.”
“Our launch product must be self-charging and infrastructure-independent.”
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