A Grand Roll-Out
APUS, the thirteen-year-old German aircraft firm specializing in design, maintenance, and repair, rolled out its i-2, a hydrogen-powered, twin electric motor craft filled with innovative ideas. 300 invited guests attended the sunny ceremony, presided over by Brandenburg’s Minister of Economic Affairs Prof. Dr. Jörg Steinbach, together with APUS CEO Phillip Scheffel.
Scheffel spoke to the crowd, explaining how much his team contributed to the firm’s accomplishment. “Without the great work and dedication of our team, this success would never have been possible. Together we have redefined the boundaries of modern aviation.”
APUS i-2 at 2023 MESSE exhibition. Note the Tubestruct hydrogen tanks.
Your editor had the pleasure of interviewing Scheffel and his compatriots Laurent Altenberger and Dipl.-Ing. Robert Adam last year. The discussion led to a blog entry as the group was beginning development of the i-2, and highlighted some of the boundaries Scheffel speaks of redefining.
One boundary was the weight penalty traditionally imposed in using hydrogen as a fuel source. Scheffel has an approach that addresses that penalty and even improves on the structures that would contain the gas. His “patented, structurally integrated hydrogen storage system…enables up to 25 percent higher specific energy density than conventional hydrogen tanks and up to ten times better energy density than battery-powered electric aircraft.”
Wire mesh rendering of Tubestruct structural H2 tanks
Flying on hydrogen helps the i-2 avoid the issues of battery-powered craft, including the use of ethically problematic sourcing of materials like cobalt and the inherent problems of thermal runaway (greatly reduced in the last decade) and reduced energy in cold conditions as at high altitudes.
What Will Customers Get?
Customers will get two 135 kilowatt (181 horsepower) each motors powered by two 100 kilowatt fuel cells in the craft’s streamlined nose. The power combination will carry one pilot and three passengers up to 500 nautical miles (900 kilometers or 575 statute miles) at a maximum speed of 160 knots (184 mph) true air speed. The 2,200 kilogram (4,840 pound) maximum take-off weight airplane can reach 4,000 meters (13,100 feet) with its current motors. Expect those to be upgraded soon.
Two fuel cells and ancillary devices crowd the nose cowling of the i-2
The 13.3 meter (43.3 feet) wings support a large and presumably comfortable cabin with excellent visibility. The 1.1 million euros ($1,213,000 price is not out of keeping with other, more conventional, light twins. And it’s emission free.
The Near Future
The roll-out is just the first part of a fast-track development cycle, with APUS starting test flights and refining aircraft systems, including installing the planned 2.0 motors. The group will continue development of its Tubestruct™ hydrogen tank system. As implied by the name, it’s a way to incorporate structural elements into what otherwise be a weighty tank that only carries the pressurized gas. In Scheffel’s design, the long tanks are part of the spar structure of the wing, adding stiffness and strength. This leads to the overall high energy density of the power system.
First flights, scheduled for the end of this year or the beginning of 2025, with EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) approval by 2027, and a market launch by 2028.
Then, APUS moves toward nine- and 19-seat aircraft optimizing their designs to take advantage of the benefits of high energy density and light weight inherent in APUS’ design philosophy.
The company is “driving forward the green revolution in aviation,” and will doubtless become one of the leaders in that revolution.