Maxwell Aircraft (Bartow, Fla.) has developed a hybrid cargo power source for amphibious aircraft capable of 300 hp during flight and 1,500 hp during takeoff and when gaining altitude. It combines power from fuel-based compression-ignition engines and electric-powered engines to generate power efficiently and economically.

In a patent-pending power configuration designated the M1-HC hybrid (see image above) for use with passengers and cargo, the firm’s aircraft can power a 2,000-lb. payload over 1,000 nautical miles. 

According to David Dillon, CEO of Maxwell Aircraft, “Our goal with the M1 Hybrid Cargo was to rethink what an amphibious aircraft can do.”

He explained further, “By combining the tremendous power of electric propulsion where it delivers the greatest benefit with the range and energy density of Jet A for cruise, we saw we could give operators an aircraft that carries more, travels farther, and reaches destinations inaccessible to conventional landplanes. The M1-HC is designed to be a practical working aircraft — not just a technology demonstration.”

Conventional aircraft engines provide enormous power for takeoff, although they use just a fraction of that total power during flight and when cruising. The hybrid engine architecture is designed to match propulsion technology to each phase of flight. It combines short bursts of electric power with efficient fuel-powered cruising as part of mechanically coupled hybrid drive architecture.

During cruise, the M1 relies on high-efficiency, compound-turbocharged, direct-injection compression-ignition engines operating on widely available Jet A fuel. By limiting the electric power during the high-power boosts, the amount of energy storage and the size of the battery that the vehicle must carry can be minimized. The M1 Hybrid Cargo is available under experimental aircraft regulations, including commercial use for government purposes.