Watch a video of the taxi test.

After nearly four years of perseverance, the Eagle Flight Research Center (EFRC) team at Embry‑Riddle is celebrating a milestone in its electric propulsion research: its Diamond HK-36 completed a successful taxi test exclusively on electrical power at the Daytona Beach International Airport on Nov. 16. 

Dubbed the eSpirit of St. Louis — in honor of Charles Lindbergh’s notion of balance between aviation and the environment — the aircraft serves as a testbed for students to gain experience on the interdisciplinary aspects of mixing electrical engineering skills with aerospace engineering. Lockheed Martin Skunk Works donated the aircraft to the EFRC in 2016.

Dr. Richard “Pat” Anderson, professor of aerospace engineering and director of the EFRC, piloted the experimental aircraft with co-pilot Joseph Thiemer, an aerospace engineering student completing his bachelor’s degree. During the taxi session, Thiemer programmed and monitored parameters in the motor inverter/speed controller and monitored the battery management system.

In total, the eSpirit taxied about a quarter mile during the initial test.

The EFRC team expects the eSpirit to take flight — relying solely on electric propulsion — in 2021.

Read more about the eSpirit project and how Embry‑Riddle is electrifying the third revolution in aircraft propulsion.