Eviation is still on track to perform the first test flight of its all-electric Alice aircraft this summer, company officials told FutureFlight. This would imply an anticipated target date for the Washington state-based company of no later than September 22.

The electric aircraft start-up teased new photos of the Alice on Twitter this week, showing the nine-passenger aircraft on the tarmac at Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake, Washington, where the first test flight is expected to occur sometime in the next five weeks.

Originally scheduled to take place before the end of 2019, the debut test flight of the aircraft has been delayed for some time, and Eviation has not provided an explanation for the delay. However, the company said it had completed ground tests in May in preparation for the initial flight at Moses Lake.

“Eviation is validating the changes we made to the aircraft after our initial ground testing as we prepare for flight,” a company spokesperson told FutureFlight. Eviation did not elaborate on exactly what changes have been made to the aircraft since ground testing was completed.

Eviation's Alice aircraft is pictured at Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake, Washington, in August 2022. (Credit: Eviation via Twitter)

After introducing an initial Alice prototype at the Paris Air Show in 2019, Eviation unveiled a revised design for the aircraft in June 2021, just a few months after an earlier prototype was damaged in a fire. The new design replaced the V-shaped tail with a T-tail, and the aircraft’s two MagniX Magni650 electric propulsion units were relocated from the wingtips to a pylon mount at the rear of the fuselage. Company officials said the changes would optimize the aircraft’s performance and handling.

The Alice is a fully electric fixed-wing aircraft designed to accommodate up to nine passengers and two pilots. Eviation also plans to offer an executive version of the Alice, which would seat six passengers, as well as a cargo-configured model. Intended to fly regional routes, the Alice can carry payloads of up to 2,500 pounds (1,100 kilograms) and has a range of about 500 miles (800 kilometers), with a maximum cruise speed of 250 knots. Eviation plans to have the Alice certified under the FAA’s Part 23 rules and expects to have it in commercial service by 2026.

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