At the 2024 National Business Aircraft Association’s convention and trade show, Kansas-based True Blue Power unveiled the latest model in its growing lineup of lithium-ion main ship batteries. The Gen5 TB-50—intended as a same-tray replacement for the 44-amp battery found in many small turbine-powered aircraft—is a convincing investment because it weighs 50 percent less than typical lead-acid and NiCad batteries.
True Blue’s Van Winter said the main reason for developing the new 50 amp-hour TB-50 is because operators and shops alike wanted a same-size modern and lighter replacement battery that packs more power than a lead-acid model. It’s not accurate to call the TB-50 a direct replacement because lithium-ion batteries really aren’t direct replacements for lead acid and NiCads. But the TB-50 can be called an easy replacement.