Heart Aerospace Secures $2.9M FAA Grant for Hybrid ES-36 Aircraft Development
Swedish-American electric aircraft manufacturer, Heart Aerospace, has won a $2.9 million award from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This funding is aimed at advancing the hybrid-electric propulsion system of the forthcoming ES-36 regional airliner. The grant is part of Phase IV of the FAA’s Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions and Noise (CLEEN) public-private partnership program, which was announced on October 12, 2026.
Heart Aerospace has committed to match the FAA’s contribution dollar-for-dollar, thereby raising the total investment to $5.8 million over the next 24 months. This funding will be directed towards Project HYPER (Hybrid Propulsion Environmental Readiness). The project’s main focus is on the development and testing of a megawatt-class turbogenerator for the ES-36’s series-hybrid powertrain. Each of the aircraft’s two propulsion nacelles will house one of these turbogenerators, which will generate electricity in-flight to extend the range beyond what batteries alone can offer.
The 36-seat ES-36 is designed to achieve an all-electric range of 125 miles and a hybrid range of 745 miles. Heart Aerospace is currently building its first pre-production aircraft at its Los Angeles pilot plant. The company plans a first flight in 2028 and expects entry into service by 2031 after receiving FAA Part 25 certification. This announcement follows a purchase agreement made in September 2026 with air carrier JSX for 50 ES-36 aircraft, with an option for 50 more.
Source: AVweb – Heart Aerospace Wins $2.9M FAA Propulsion Grant