ZeroAvia and Natilus Partner on Blended Wing Cargo Plane

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ZeroAvia, maker of hydrogen-Electric powerplants for zero-emission aviation, has been selected to partner with Natilus, “a leading innovator in designing and developing new autonomous blended-wing-body (BWB) cargo aircraft.”  Kona, smallest of the pack, will carry a 3.8-ton (7,600-pound), while Natilus’ web site shows three additional BWBs, jumping to 60, 100, and 130 tons cargo-carrying capacity and maximum takeoff weights of up to nearly a million pounds. For a fact sheet on all the designs, click here. As an option to conventional turboprops, two ZeroAvia’s ZA600s producing 600 kilowatts (804 horsepower) each will power Kona, with its 26-meter (85-foot) wingspan capable of carrying its load 900 nautical miles (1,667 kilometers) at a cruising speed of 220 knots (407 kilometers) per hour. …

ZeroAvia Has New Airplane, New Motor

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ZeroAvia has taken delivery of a 76-seat Bombardier* Q400 airplane from Alaska Airlines.  The craft could become a test bed for ZeroAvia’s modular HyperCore motors and hydrogen fuel systems.  The Q400 will carry four times the number of passengers of the company’s current Dornier 228 twin-engine test aircraft – already having made five successful test flights. ZeroAvia proclaims, “The future of flight is renewable hydrogen,” and explains with a mission statement.  “From 20 seat regional trips to over 100 seat long-distance flights, ZeroAvia enables scalable, sustainable aviation by replacing conventional engines with hydrogen-electric powertrains.” Two Dorniers, one in the United Kingdom and one in Hollister, California, are undergoing test flights (five so far in the Cotswolds in England) or awaiting FAA …

Dornier DS-2C – a Hydrogen Hydroavian

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What happens when a major aircraft company buys an interesting seaplane and repowers it with hydrogen?  Dornier, a long-time German producer of often brilliant aircraft, acquired the rights to a two-seat amphibian, the Flywhale FW650, as of January 1, 2022.  Originally powered with a Rotax engine, the craft will be repowered with an electric motor and a variety of possible battery, hydrogen, or hybrid power sources. Redesignated the Dornier DS-C2, it becomes part of the Seawings division and could live not only in the world of unlimited runways, but become a true eVTOL (electric Vertical Take Off and Landing) airplane, the DS-2C-X. The standard Light Sport Aircraft configuration can carry two at 250 kilometers per hour (155 mph), over a …

China Flies RX4HE, a Hydrogen-Powered Four Seater

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China has flown its first hydrogen-powered four-seat aircraft, the Liaoning Ruixiang RX4HE, on March 25.  The airplane is somewhat unique in having an internal combustion engine (ICE) that runs on the liquid hydrogen used as fuel.  Developed with the FAW (First Automobile Works), the engine displaces two liters and runs on the 4.5 kilograms (9.9 pounds) of highly-pressurized H2 carried on board. This enables one hour endurance at a cruising speed of 180 kilometers per hour (112 mph).  FAW claims 43-percent efficiency for the powertrain and an overall thermal efficiency “greater than 40 percent.”  (The video shows the RX4E, no videos of the HE model yet available.) According to Wikipedia, “China FAW Group Corp., Ltd. is a Chinese state-owned automobile …

Monash Makes Motors – and Fuel from Thin Air

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Monash University announced a new type of electric aircraft motor and the promise of a fuel that could power everything from your smart watch to your airplane in the future.  Both rely on unique ways of seeing the physical world around us. The Kite Magnetic Motor Charles Alcock, writing for FutureFlight.com, discusses Kite Magnetics’ 120 kilowatt (160 horsepower) electric propulsion unit (EPU) intended for a variety of light aircraft applications.  part of a program at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, the motor could find applications in “conventional fixed-wing aircraft, as well as eVTOL and eSTOL designs, high-altitude satellites, and wing-in-ground craft,” according to the University. At its core, the motor relies on the University’s patented Aeroperm™ magnetic material.  This lightweight …

APUS Offers Two Hydrogen-powered Aircraft

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Designs to Fly “Without Harm for the Climate” APUS (Latin for swift bird) has announced two aircraft, the i-2 and i-5, that will offer either zero emission or very low emission flight.  The designs represent some highly innovative thinking and excellent performance. APUS states its mission as, “Flying without any Harm for Climate!”  To that end, they are developing four craft that will fly on green hydrogen power.  Partnered with, “PowerCell (Hydrogen Fuel Cells), Fraunhofer (High-Voltage applications), COTESA (hydrogen storage solutions) and HEGGEMANN (hydrogen supply and safety systems) we are developing certified powertrain units for emission-free air transportation applications.” APUS i-2, Zero-Emission General Aviation Aircraft In a recent discussion with CEO Dipl.-Ing.Phillip Scheffel; Laurent Altenberger ,an Aerospace Project and Supply …

Biggest yet from Universal Hydrogen

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Universal Hydrogen flew the largest hydrogen-powered aircraft yet at Grant County Airport in Moses Lake, Washington.  The DeHavilland Dash 8 was powered on its right side by a MagniX motor and fueled by H2 from a pair of containers in the rear of the fuselage.  It made a 15 minute flight to 3,500 feet and settled back to a safe landing It carried “the largest hydrogen fuel cell ever to power an aircraft, “and Universal Hydrogen co-founder and CEO Paul Eremenko “declared the moment the dawn of a new golden age of aviation.” Prep for flight Lightning McClean, Universal’s modified Dash 8, normally flies with up to 50 passengers.  The penalty for using H2 for fuel is giving up 10 …

Alauda AirspeederMK4  and  AMSL Speed Toward Records

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Alauda and AMSL – two companies down under – are pressing ahead on divergent missions, but both powering “flying cars” with hydrogen.  Both craft will achieve higher speeds and cover longer ranges than most other electric Vertical Take Off and Landing (eVTOL) craft. Alauda Airspeeder MK4 Alauda’s brief history of creating Airspeeders hits its latest iteration, the MK4.  It replaces batteries with a 1,000 kilowatt hydrogen-fueled turbo generator driving ducted fans in place of previous open rotors.  Up to now, the various Marks were remotely controlled and battery powered.  MK4s will be “crewed” and powered by green hydrogen. Evolved over the last few years, MK4 will be much faster than its 100 kilometer per hour predecessors, and we hope, more …

Universal Hydrogen Certified, Ready to Fly

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On February 7, 2023, Universal Hydrogen received a Special Airworthiness Certificate in the Experimental category from the Federal Aviation Administration.  This will allow their DeHavilland Dash 8-300 to begin test flights.  Universal boasts their craft will be the largest hydrogen fuel cell-powered aircraft ever to fly.  Up to now, it’s been performing taxi tests and motor runups, getting ready for the big day. On a Mission Universal Hydrogen’s web site opens with this statement: “Our mission is to put aviation on a trajectory to meet Paris Agreement emissions targets by making hydrogen-powered commercial flight a near-term reality.”   The coming flight tests are a major step toward fulfillment of that mission. Inclusion of the large hydrogen-carrying modules reduces passenger carrying capacity …

AeroDelft and ETH Cellsius’ Future Flies in Clean Skies

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Two groups of students, AeroDelft in The Netherlands and ETH Cellsius in Switzerland, are making great progress on some extremely advanced aeronautical projects.  Each school’s ultimate goal seems to be flying with liquid hydrogen, and each has a slightly different approach to that goal. AeroDelft: Starting Small AeroDelft, the student-led project at Delft University of Technology, flew a 1/3 scale model that closely resembles e-Genius in July.  Its 1,500 Watt (two kilowatt) motor is powered by 40 grams (1.411 ounces) of gaseous hydrogen initially, but will transition to liquid H2 later in the program.  380 grams (13.4 ounces) of the more potent fuel will allow three hours endurance and a range of almost 300 kilometers (186 miles) Since that flight, …