Elixir, Turbotech Move Turbine Trainer Toward Certification

The companies are targeting EASA and FAA approval and a 2030 entry into service.

Elixir, Turbotech Move Turbine Trainer Toward Certification
[Credit: Elixir]
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Key Takeaways:

  • Elixir Aircraft and Turbotech signed an MOU to advance the Elixir Turbine trainer from its demonstrator phase to industrial development and certification.
  • The turbine-powered trainer, utilizing Turbotech's TP-R90 engine, is designed for flight schools, emphasizing low operating costs, high availability, and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) compatibility.
  • The companies plan EASA and FAA certification programs for the Elixir Turbine, targeting an entry into service by 2030.
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Last month, Elixir Aircraft and Turbotech signed a memorandum of understanding to move the Elixir Turbine beyond its demonstrator phase and into industrial development. The July 22 agreement covers production integration, continued aircraft development and preparations to certify the turbine-powered trainer.

Certification Programs Planned

Elixir and Turbotech said they plan to launch certification programs through EASA and FAA. The companies are targeting entry into service by 2030.

The demonstrator’s engine was first run on the ground in February 2025, and the aircraft made its first flight that June before completing an initial flight-test campaign.

“After a year of highly encouraging flight testing, we are now reaching a major milestone,” Elixir Aircraft President and co-founder Arthur Léopold-Léger said. “The Elixir Turbine will complement our new aircraft lineup and provide professional operators with a solution combining ease of operation, exceptionally low operating costs, maximum aircraft availability, and compatibility with Sustainable Aviation Fuel.”

Turbine Aimed at Flight Schools

The two-seat aircraft will use Turbotech’s TP-R90 turbine, along with Elixir’s Carbon OneShot composite airframe. The engine uses single-lever power control and can operate on multiple fuels, including sustainable aviation fuel.

Elixir said the design is intended primarily for flight schools seeking turbine operation and longer intervals between engine overhauls.

“The signing of this agreement formalizes a technical collaboration that began several years ago and confirms the maturity of our technology,” Turbotech President and co-founder Damien Fauvet said. “Thanks to the ramp-up of our production capabilities and the experience gained with our first turbine engines in Europe and the United States, we are ready to support Elixir Aircraft in bringing a new benchmark for professional general aviation.”

The turbine program is separate from Elixir’s rollout of its piston-powered trainer in the U.S., where deliveries began this year following FAA certification in July 2025. The new agreement with Turbotech covers development and certification of a turbine-powered derivative targeted to enter service in 2030.

Matt Ryan

Matt is AVweb's lead editor. His eyes have been turned to the sky for as long as he can remember. Now a fixed-wing pilot, instructor and aviation writer, Matt also leads and teaches a high school aviation program in the Dallas area. Beyond his lifelong obsession with aviation, Matt loves to travel and has lived in Greece, Czechia and Germany for studies and for work.
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