Council members report testing of quieter electric trainer at Centennial Airport and local advanced‑electric aircraft development

Several council members used their weekly reports on July 15 to highlight local aerospace activity at Centennial Airport and nearby companies testing electric aircraft and advanced rotorcraft. Council member Sheehan described an electric trainer aircraft that visited Centennial Airport for noise testing and said the airport compared that aircraft to a legacy Cessna 172. “It's about 25 dB reduction in noise,” Sheehan said of the electric trainer’s measured difference near airport monitors, adding that the trainer’s endurance is roughly 70 minutes and that the aircraft is not yet FAA certified. Sheehan also described Cosmic Aerospace, a company in Centennial that is developing an electric passenger airplane with a distributed‑electric propulsion design. Sheehan said the design under development would seat about 24 people, put propulsion units (small electric turbines) into the wing — 16 per wing in the concept shared with council — and aim for a range of roughly 600 miles. Council member Holt and other council members reported visiting local aerospace firms. Holt described a visit to a Cosmic Aerospace mock‑up and a separate tour of United Rotorcraft (United Rotocraft in transcript), a local company that produces the FireHawk helicopter and custom air‑ambulance interiors, and that hires former military personnel. Holt noted United Rotorcraft’s work on FireHawk airframes and that the company offers tours for community leaders. Council members framed these reports as community economic development and technology highlights; there were no requests for city action, ordinance changes, or direct city investment discussed at the meeting. The reports underscore the concentration of aerospace engineering and manufacturing activity in the Centennial area and offer early indications of quieter, electric propulsion technologies being tested locally.