Hydrogen Aviation
The use of hydrogen, particularly hydrogen fuel cell powertrains, as a pathway to zero-emissions aviation. Hydrogen offers vastly superior energy density to lithium batteries. Indeed, there's a pathway using existing technology to building aircraft that can travel just as far as anything carrying jet fuel, for significantly reduced prices, while eliminating emissions.
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With the move towards electric aviation comes new opportunities to explore what a powertrain looks like, and Airbus is experimenting with a new design that builds entire hydrogen propulsion units, tanks and all, into detachable pods along the wings. -
From 1935 to 1948, French manufacturer Avions Mauboussin was known for its light sporting aircraft. Its name has now been revived, by a French startup that plans on building hybrid STOL (short take-off and landing) airplanes.
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Spanish company Quaternium has destroyed its own record for gasoline-electric drone endurance with a 10-hour, 14-minute flight. But how does that stack up against hydrogen and batteries, and what are the implications for the emerging eVTOL market?
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ZeroAvia says it completed the world's first hydrogen-fuel-cell powered flight of a commercial-grade aircraft when a modified Piper M-class six-seater plane took off from its facility in England, and completed a full-pattern circuit before landing.
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Hydrogen is on the rise as the zero-emissions aviation fuel of the future, and LA-based fuel logistics startup Universal Hydrogen is partnering with electric aviation specialists Magnix to develop a 40-seat hydrogen-electric airliner for 2024.
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Looking forward to a zero-emission future for the commercial aircraft industry, Airbus has revealed three hydrogen-fueled concepts, including a striking blended wing design, with the aim of putting the first flyer into service by 2035.
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Reaction Engines and Britain's Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) have completed a concept study into the practicality of using ammonia as a sustainable, low-emission jet aviation fuel.
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Progress hasn't come as quickly as expected, but Skai remains committed to pioneering liquid hydrogen as a power source for its ultra-long range eVTOL air taxis, which will travel vastly longer distances than anything with a lithium battery system.
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ZeroAvia says it has successfully completed the first-ever flight of a commercial-scale electric-powered aircraft in the UK. On June 22, the company's HyFlyer aircraft with a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain took off from Cranfield Airport, Bedfordshire.
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ZeroAvia is creating zero-emissions hydrogen-fuel-cell powertrains for electric mid-range aircraft that could run up to 50% cheaper than today's jet-fuel planes. CEO Val Miftakhov says he'll have a solution for long-range international flights, too.
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Israeli VTOL air taxi developer Urban Aeronautics has announced it's partnering with HyPoint to develop a long range, hydrogen fuel cell-powered, emissions-free version of its remarkable CityHawk aircraft, based on the military Cormorant design.
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A California company says its new "turbo air-cooled" fuel cell design can deliver three times the power and four times the lifespan of a regular fuel cell, opening the door for high-speed, long-range, hydrogen-powered electric VTOL aircraft.
