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Seattle startup Nimbus Aerospace conducted a proof-of-concept flight in Phoenix this month of its planned aircraft. (Nimbus Photo)
Nimbus Aerospace, a Seattle-area aviation newcomer, has successfully completed a proof-of-concept flight of its planned design for an electric-powered business jet.
The sustainable aviation startup launched last year in Phoenix, which is where the unmanned flight took place, but has since relocated to the Pacific Northwest.
The Nimbus aircraft used earlier thi smonth in the test was a 10th-scale airframe. The plane took off, was airborne for 1 minute and 23 seconds, and safely landed. The startup called the flight a “key milestone” that demonstrates the viability of the plane’s design, which the team described as “an over-the-wing distributed ducted fan propulsion system.”
Nimbus’ goal is to build a plane that can fly up to 1,100 miles with seating for six to eight passengers.
“Private jets are between five and 14 times more polluting per passenger than commercial airplanes, making them the most environmentally harmful form of transportation,” said Adrian Groos, Nimbus CEO and co-founder, in a statement. “To meet the industry’s net-zero carbon emissions goals by 2050, thousands of new and sustainable private aircraft will be needed over the coming decades.”
Groos’ experience includes roles in product management. Co-founder and CTO Akim Niyonzima worked in engineering and operations for the aviation and aerospace company Bombardier for nearly three years.
Adrian Groos (left) and Akim Niyonzima. (Nimbus Photo)
Nimbus raised initial investment in 2023. This year, the startup landed $50,000 from Chisos Capital and $120,000 from Techstars.
In 2025, Nimbus plans to build a one-quarter-scale, proof-of-concept model for flight tests. The team hopes to secure Federal Aviation Administration certification and begin production of its electric jets by 2032.
Aviation is one of the more difficult industries to decarbonize. It contributes 2.5% of the greenhouse gases emitted annually, but that percentage is expected to increase as other sectors go low-carbon and air travel increases. In addition to hydrogen and battery-powered flight, many are counting on sustainable aviation fuels as a climate friendly solution for air transportation.
Washington is home to multiple sustainable aviation startups including ZeroAvia, magniX, and Outbound Aerospace. Electric-aviation startup Zunum Aero failed in 2019. California-based Universal Hydrogen — which put a hybrid prototype for a hydrogen-fueled airplane into the air last year in Moses Lake, Wash. — shut down earlier this year.
