Fresh off a multiweek European “Grand Tour” comprising stops in Ireland, the U.K., France, Germany, Luxembourg, and Denmark, Beta Technologies’ all-electric CX300 is conducting its first test flights in Norway.
The aircraft, tail number N214BT, was recently delivered to customer Bristow Group, whose pilots took it to the skies for the first time on Friday. The flight marks the start of a six-month series of evaluations within Norway’s international test arena for zero- and low-emission aviation. The country’s civil aviation authority in March gave Beta and Bristow the green light to conduct the test arena’s inaugural demonstrations.
“As a nation wholly dependent on aviation—today as well as in the future—transitioning to a more sustainable aviation industry is a major priority for my government,” said Jon-Ivar Nygård, Norway’s Minister of Transport, in remarks accompanying the announcement of the maiden flight. “This first flight represents a significant step on a long and complex journey.”
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Friday’s sortie at Stavanger Airport (ENZV) was conducted by Bristow pilot Jeremy Degagne and Beta pilot Nate Dubie. Over the next few months, the partners will evaluate likely customer routes connecting airports owned by Avinor, Norway’s airport and air traffic services authority. Early tests will travel between Stavanger and Bergen Airport (ENBR), a distance of about 86 nm.
The sandbox exercises are also intended to help regulators set the stage for future passenger and cargo services. A Beta-trained Bristow crew will maintain and fly the aircraft, after which Beta will take it back.
“The information we learn through the test arena program will provide valuable operational insights that could help operators, manufacturers, and regulators better understand how best to move forward towards commercial operations,” said Dave Stepanek, executive vice president and chief transformation officer of Bristow.
Built For the Mission
The CX300 is the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant of Beta’s Alia and shares similarities with the company’s electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) design. It features a 50-foot wingspan, carbon-fiber fuselage, and distributed electric propulsion system comprising battery packs, four vertical lift propellers designed by Hartzell, and one pusher prop. Its batteries can be charged in less than one hour.
The model has a demonstrated range of 336 nm and top cruise speed of about 135 knots, with capacity for as many as five passengers or 1,400 pounds of cargo. It is configurable for either use case.
Bristow in 2022 placed a firm order for five Alia VTOLs, with the option to purchase 50 more. According to the helicopter operator, the CX300 is “well-suited for Norway’s distributed geography and cold-weather conditions” due to its range, payload, and IFR capabilities. Per Beta, it produces 75 percent fewer emissions than the Cessna 208 at a fraction of the cost.
“Bristow has been with us from the start and shares our drive for progress, and Norway, with its spirit of innovation and modernization, is a perfect place to move this technology forward,” said Shawn Hall, the company’s chief revenue officer.
Beta’s Journey to Norway
The test campaign marks Beta’s first aircraft delivery to a customer—as well as the culmination of its European gallavant.
The journey began with demonstrations in Ireland and the U.K., which saw the aircraft traverse the Irish Sea. It then flew across the English Channel into France, where it soared every day of this year’s Paris Air Show. The CX300 also stopped in Germany, Luxembourg, and Denmark before landing in Bristow’s hands. It ultimately flew nearly 7,000 kilometers.
The European tour followed an equally ambitious 8,000 nm barnstorm across the United States earlier this year, during which another CX300 visited 82 airfields in 25 states. It flew as many as four times daily under day, night, VFR, and IFR conditions, as well as through snowstorms and scorching heat.
In June, that aircraft made history by completing the first passenger-carrying electric flight into John F. Kennedy International Airport (KJFK). Last month, it visited Toronto’s Billy Bishop City Centre Airport (CYTZ) and made an appearance at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
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