AIRCRAFT AND ASSOCIATED METHOD OF CONDITIONING CABIN AIR

The aircraft can have a cabin (11) adapted to receive one or more persons; a rotary airfoil device (114); an electric engine (112) drivingly coupled to the rotary airfoil device (114); a battery (120) powering the electric engine (112); a coolant subsystem (230) having a coolant circuit (232) and a coolant pump (174) operable to circulate a coolant in the coolant circuit (232), the coolant circuit (232) connected in heat exchange relationship with at least one of the electric engine (112) and the battery (120); a heat pump (240) having a refrigerant circuit (242) fluidly connecting, in sequence, a compressor (241), a condenser (243), an expansion valve (245), a first evaporator (247), and an environmental control line (249) branching off from the refrigerant circuit (242) between the condenser (243) and the first evaporator (247), the environmental control line (249) having a second evaporator (248) and reconnected to the refrigerant circuit (242) between the first evaporator (247) and the compressor (241), the first evaporator (247) connected in heat exchange relationship with the coolant circuit (232); and a pressurized air subsystem (250) having a pressurized air line (256) operable to deliver pressurized air from a pressurized air source (174) to the cabin (11), the pressurized air line (256) connected in heat exchange relationship with the second evaporator (248).