Dominique Belisle to present progress on Pratt & Whitney Canada’s hybrid-electric flight demo
06/08/2025
Dominique Belisle, chief designer for Aerostructures at Pratt & Whitney Canada, will take to the stage at the Aerospace Test & Development Show to share the latest progress on the company’s hybrid-electric propulsion flight demonstration programme.
The project, a key part of the RTX sustainable aviation portfolio, is a collaborative effort involving Collins Aerospace, H55 in Switzerland, DeHavilland Aircraft of Canada, and Aerotec in Washington State. Together, the partners are working to modify a Dash 8-100 aircraft with a new hybrid-electric engine, with the goal of demonstrating sustainable, reliable propulsion technology in real-world conditions.
“We’re preparing a flight demonstration to show how our hybrid-electric engine performs, and how it fits into broader sustainability goals,” Belisle explained. “We recently achieved a significant milestone, testing the thermal engine and batteries together at the level of power required for take-off. That’s a major step forward.”
Belisle brings over two decades of aerospace engineering experience, having held roles at Bombardier and Bell Helicopter before rejoining Pratt & Whitney in 2019. He now leads structural modifications for integrating the hybrid-electric propulsion system into the aircraft.
His presentation will outline how this technology fits into RTX’s long-term decarbonisation strategy, including updates on achieved milestones, upcoming testing challenges, and how the team is building toward technology readiness.
“This is a conservative but serious approach to hybrid-electric,” he said. “We’re not going all-in with unproven tech. We’re starting with a scalable, hybrid option that allows us to learn, validate, and gain real hours of reliability.”
The test programme has not been without its challenges. Belisle pointed to the need for entirely new testing tools and systems, developed specifically for hybrid-electric propulsion.
“We had to iterate as we learned about failure modes and component durability. But our legacy testing knowledge helped, and we’re applying it in novel ways,” he said.
Looking ahead to the event, Belisle is keen to engage with peers across the industry. “Many companies are now rethinking their electric or hybrid strategies. It’ll be interesting to hear how others are adjusting and what technologies they’re betting on, whether that’s hydrogen, fuel cells, or next-gen batteries.”
He hopes attendees walk away understanding that this isn’t just theory. “This is a real project, progressing at a steady pace with strong collaboration and engineering discipline behind it.”
Session: The latest developments with the P&WC Hybrid-electric engine flight demo programme
Date: Wednesday 1st October
Time: 10:40 AM - 11:10 AM
“We’re preparing a flight demonstration to show how our hybrid-electric engine performs, and how it fits into broader sustainability goals,” Belisle explained. “We recently achieved a significant milestone, testing the thermal engine and batteries together at the level of power required for take-off. That’s a major step forward.”
Belisle brings over two decades of aerospace engineering experience, having held roles at Bombardier and Bell Helicopter before rejoining Pratt & Whitney in 2019. He now leads structural modifications for integrating the hybrid-electric propulsion system into the aircraft.
His presentation will outline how this technology fits into RTX’s long-term decarbonisation strategy, including updates on achieved milestones, upcoming testing challenges, and how the team is building toward technology readiness.
“This is a conservative but serious approach to hybrid-electric,” he said. “We’re not going all-in with unproven tech. We’re starting with a scalable, hybrid option that allows us to learn, validate, and gain real hours of reliability.”
The test programme has not been without its challenges. Belisle pointed to the need for entirely new testing tools and systems, developed specifically for hybrid-electric propulsion.
“We had to iterate as we learned about failure modes and component durability. But our legacy testing knowledge helped, and we’re applying it in novel ways,” he said.
Looking ahead to the event, Belisle is keen to engage with peers across the industry. “Many companies are now rethinking their electric or hybrid strategies. It’ll be interesting to hear how others are adjusting and what technologies they’re betting on, whether that’s hydrogen, fuel cells, or next-gen batteries.”
He hopes attendees walk away understanding that this isn’t just theory. “This is a real project, progressing at a steady pace with strong collaboration and engineering discipline behind it.”
Session: The latest developments with the P&WC Hybrid-electric engine flight demo programme
Date: Wednesday 1st October
Time: 10:40 AM - 11:10 AM