JEKTA begins flight testing of a scaled amphibious aircraft

JEKTA, the Switzerland-based manufacturer of the ‘passenger hydro aircraft’ Zero Emissions 100 (PHA-ZE 100) amphibious flying boat, has begun flight trials with a 1:9 scaled prototype, which uses a distributed electric powerplant to draw energy from onboard batteries. Testing of the remotely controlled model will verify the aerodynamic and hydrodynamic configurations of the production aircraft and generate data representative of the full-size aircraft to verify and confirm the results of computational modelling already completed.

Following on from digital simulations, real-world testing is expected to deliver valuable data on how the aircraft performs during landing, taxiing, and taking off from water. Two amphibious flying boats are currently being modified as proof-of-concept aircraft and will be used subsequently to validate the combined digital and real-world data.

George Alafioox, JEKTA’s CEO and co-founder, said: “After extensive virtual trials and simulations, our engineers are excited to begin flying the 1:9 prototype. The flight testing marks an important milestone on our journey to bring next-generation electric amphibious aircraft to operators globally. Flying the scaled models and modified ultralights moves JEKTA one step closer to flying a full-scale prototype of the PHA-ZE 100, confirming that we are on track with plans to introduce our new aircraft to the global air transport network in 2030. Testing presents an excellent opportunity for us to showcase progress to date and the future potential of the PHA-ZE 100 to investors and customers.”

The JEKTA PHA-ZE 100 already has more than $1 billion of forward commitments from customers, and the company is scheduled to begin production at its Payerne facility in 2028/29. JEKTA recently attended the Paris Air Show in the Swiss Pavilion.