Beta advances stepwise certification approach with propeller approval from FAA

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When Vermont-based electric vertical take-off and landing developer Beta Technologies in 2023 revealed its intention to certify a conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) version of its Alia aircraft, that was in part due to the challenges it was facing at the time in getting its eVTOL through transition flight. But the startup successfully pivoted, embracing what it described as an incremental approach to certification that would burn down development risk at every stage.

The company said it would first work with Hartzell Propeller to achieve Federal Aviation Administration type certification of the aircraft’s pusher propeller. This would be followed by certification of Beta’s electric motor as a standalone product, then certification of its CTOL electric airplane and finally its eVTOL. At the time, Beta CEO Kyle Clark described this “stepwise approach” as “taking this huge problem of transforming aviation into an electric future, and chunking it down to the steps to get there.”

Related: Unpacking the strategy behind Beta’s new electric airplane

Like most FAA certification programs, Beta’s are running behind their original schedules, but are still generally on track. A major proof point of this came on July 21, when Hartzell announced it received type certification of the first propeller designed specifically for advanced air mobility aircraft. It is a milestone that advances Beta’s programs directly through certification of a key component, but also — less obviously — by validating key processes that will also play a role in Beta’s engine and aircraft type certifications.

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