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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Paragon VTOL Aerospace is working on a second-gen version of its nine-seat Soar air taxi design, and it's settled on hydrogen-burning engines that'll deliver monster range figures between 300-900 miles (480-1,450 km) depending on passenger numbers. -
Piasecki's PA-890 slowed-rotor compound helicopter will be a remarkable enough aircraft in its own right – but the company is also working with HyPoint to develop a long-range, powerful hydrogen powertrain to sell to other eVTOL manufacturers.
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Universal Hydrogen has signed letters of intent with three airlines to convert regional airliners to run on green hydrogen. The company is developing conversion kits that accept interchangeable hydrogen modules that work like recyclable coffee pods.
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German clean aviation companies H2Fly and Deutsche Aircraft are joining forces to develop a hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered airliner capable of carrying 40 people, with a demonstration aircraft set to take its first flights in 2025.
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Despite an abrupt and unscheduled ending to its six-seater test program, hydrogen aviation pioneer ZeroAvia is ramping up development of the largest fuel cell-powered aircraft to date – a pair of 19-seaters – and is preparing for something much bigger.
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Airbus is working on a number of hydrogen-powered aircraft, and it's just found a new angle on cryogenic liquid H2 fuel: using it to supercool the powertrain down to superconducting temperatures, possibly unlocking huge weight and efficiency savings.
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Liquid hydrogen could be a revolutionary technology in clean aviation, and AeroDelft from the Netherlands is working hard to get the first liquid hydrogen fuel cell aircraft in the air. The Phoenix will fly 2,000 km on a 10-kg tank of liquid H2.
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HyPoint's "turbo" fuel cells promise 3x the power output of regular designs, with 4x the lifespan and a range of other benefits that make them ideal for long-range hydrogen aircraft and eVTOLs. We speak to the CEO about the company's progress and plans.
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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.
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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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