7 Apr 2021

High voltage ground testing has begun on NASA’s first all-electric X-plane, the X-57 Maxwell. The X-57, which is in its first configuration called Mod 2, is drawing power from a large, off-aircraft high-voltage power supply for these tests at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The project team is applying high voltage to the aircraft in order to check out the aircraft systems and gain familiarity with operating the aircraft in the current configuration. Completion of this phase brings the project one step closer to flight.

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NASA's all-electric X-57 Maxwell aircraft under goes high-voltage ground testing at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California. A goal of the X-57 project is to help the Federal Aviation Administration set certification standards for emerging electric aircraft markets