World’s Largest Hydrogen Aircraft Makes Its First Test Flight
British-American hydrogen and electric aviation startup ZeroAvia has announced the first successful test flight of the world’s largest hydrogen-powered aircraft. A 19-seat upgraded Dornier 228 taxied, took off, flew for 10 minutes and landed at Cotswold Airport in the UK.
The short flight from Cotswold Airport was part of the HyFlyer II project, a government-funded program to develop small passenger aircraft that are more environmentally friendly than models currently in use. The power plant is powered by “compressed gaseous hydrogen produced by an electrolyser on board.” The test configuration included two stacks of fuel cells and lithium-ion batteries placed in the cabin for the duration of the test.
In commercial use, provision is made for mounting power sources outside the fuselage to provide space for passengers. In addition, the right wing had a standard Honeywell TPE-331 turbocharged engine to provide additional thrust during takeoff, as well as provide “insurance” in case of failures in the experimental systems.
According to the company’s estimates, the upgraded aircraft will provide a flight range of about 556 km. This is less than the standard carbon-fueled Dornier 228 (1130 km), but exceeds the estimates of competing zero-emission models.
