Flying electric requires more than powerful batteries and motors
– it demands proof that every system works together flawlessly.
AVL Copper Bird™ brings the aircraft’s electrical world to the
ground, allowing safe, fast, and cost-efficient validation long
before and in parallel to the first test flights.
Validating the Future
of Electric Aviation
Ready for Take-Off:
The Certification Challenge in Aviation Testing
The move toward electric and hybrid propulsion is reshaping
aviation. Inverters, e-motors, batteries, and fuel cells must
interact seamlessly as a complete system. Yet traditional test-
beds focus mainly on subsystems, while certification author-
ities require full proof of reliability at system level. Ensuring
safety, performance, and compliance calls for a platform that
replicates the aircraft’s electrical environment on the ground.
AVL Copper Bird™ – a Real Aircraft Environment on the Ground
Copper Bird was developed to meet this need. The platform
integrates all original electrical components of the propulsion
system and connects them within a realistic high-voltage
network. Electrical parts such as e-motors or batteries, which
are not purely electric, are replaced by emulators, allowing
developers to test software and hardware interactions without
risk. Even details such as floating ground references, identical
to those in real aircraft, are reproduced to ensure accurate
conditions.
By combining real components with emulation, Copper Bird
enables comprehensive integration and regression testing.
Critical operating scenarios, like load changes, can be repro-
duced alongside parasitic electromagnetic cross-couplings in
a controlled environment. This not only shortens testing cycles
but also ensures that software updates or hardware modifica-
tions are validated before being released into a fleet.
Part of AVL’s Aviation Test Ecosystem
Copper Bird is embedded in AVL’s broader aviation testing
portfolio, which covers inverters, high-voltage batteries, e-mo-
tors, and fuel cells. Advanced emulation tools, measurement
systems, and automation software such as AVL PUMA 2™ cre-
ate a seamless toolchain for efficient test execution. Custom-
ers can combine Hardware-in-the-Loop methods, emulation,
and component tests within a single scalable environment.
Accelerating Development, Reducing Risk
For aircraft OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and research organizations,
AVL Copper Bird™ offers clear advantages: shorter develop-
ment cycles, lower costs, and higher confidence in system
reliability. It supports certification processes by providing
evidence of system-level performance under realistic condi-
tions. At the same time, it reduces risks by allowing extensive
testing before flight operations. Looking ahead, the platform is
evolving toward fully automated software release testing with
integrated toolchains – a key enabler for the safe and efficient
introduction of electric and hybrid aircraft propulsion.
2025