What it Takes to Certify Electric Aircraft

Technology risk reduction is essential to demonstrate the potential of Electrified Aircraft Propulsion (EAP). The industry is leading EAP by developing a diverse community of novel vehicles. There are a variety of novel EAP technologies for each of these novel vehicles. Industry is looking to certify these novel aircraft through their regulatory authorities, such as the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The international industry standards community is wrestling with critical key challenges to the certification of EAP. The approach that the regulatory authorities have taken is to collaborate and leverage the expertise of the standards community to address their challenges and to seek answers. The ASTM has key committees in its ASTM F44 General Aviation Committee and F39 Aircraft Systems Committee. The SAE has established the E-40 Electric Propulsion and AE-10 High Voltage committees. The NASA Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration project has partnered with two industry partners to advance integrated Megawatt-class powertrain system technology and assess the regulatory and standards gaps in their technology with active participation in the standards community.