We Fly: Bristell B23 Energic

Innovative electric airplane cruises with wired wings.

Max Trescott

Monday, September 15, 2025 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

A ramp view of the Bristell B23 Energic. [Courtesy: Christopher Michel]

Key Takeaways:

The author successfully test-flew the Bristell B23 Energic, an electric trainer aircraft developed by BRM Aero and H55, finding it easy to fly with light, well-balanced controls, and an experience indistinguishable from a traditional piston plane.
Powered by a 48 kWh battery pack, the B23 Energic offers 60 minutes of endurance plus a 10-minute energy reserve under European regulations, with plans for increased battery capacity to meet stricter U.S. FAA reserve requirements by 2027.
Electric propulsion provides significant advantages such as extremely low operating costs (estimated $8-$9 per hour for electricity) and consistent power output regardless of altitude or atmospheric conditions, making it ideal for flight training.
H55, a leader in electric propulsion, is also collaborating on electrifying other aircraft, including the Piper Archer and de Havilland DHC-2 Beavers, indicating a broader industry shift towards electric general aviation.

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In 2011, I glimpsed the future, when I first saw an electric airplane fly at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Fourteen years later, I’ve finally flown an electric airplane for the first time. It’s the Bristell B23 Energic, which is now touring in the U.S. giving demonstration flights.

The airplane that flew at AirVenture was a twin-engine, experimental Lazair ultralight designed by Dale Kramer. Kramer removed the two gas engines and replaced them with electric motors. He opened the wings to show me that he had loaded them with perhaps a hundred or more lithium polymer (LiPo) batteries that were connected together to power the two electric motors.