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Airbus to Carry Out Hydrogen-Powered Flights With Modified Arcus Glider

Airbus plans to examine how contrails may change as a result of hydrogen combustion at high altitudes. To that end, the company launched the project "Blue Condor," which will see a glider fitted with a hydrogen-propulsion system climb to 33,000-ft (~10,000-meter) altitudes.
Airbus launches project "Blue Condor" 6 photos
Photo: Airbus
Airbus launches project "Blue Condor"Airbus launches project "Blue Condor"Airbus launches project "Blue Condor"Airbus launches project "Blue Condor"Airbus launches project "Blue Condor"
Airbus UpNext, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Airbus, is hosting the flight test program, which is part of Airbus' ZEROe initiative that focuses on the development of the world's first zero-emission commercial aircraft by 2035.

To compare contrail emissions, the project "Blue Condor" will see two gliders, one with a hydrogen combustion engine and the other with a traditional kerosene-powered combustion engine, reach impressive altitudes.

The aircraft used will be two Arcus-J gliders, which are sailplanes fitted with a PBS Aerospace TJ-100 jet engine. For the program, the Perlan Project team, alongside Airbus, will modify one of the gliders. A hydrogen-powered propulsion system will be set up in the place of the rear pilot seats. The turbojet hydrogen combustion engine will be fuelled by two 700-bar gaseous hydrogen tanks.

The other glider will not suffer any modifications. The pilots who will fly modified Arcus-J are the same people who set the world subsonic altitude record in a pressurized glider for Airbus Perlan Mission II in 2018.

The first test flight is expected to take place in July, with the second scheduled for November in Nevada. North Dakota will host the third flight test campaign, which will be conducted in partnership with the University of North Dakota. During the campaign, a Grob Egrett aircraft will take the two gliders to the required test altitude, release them, and then follow closely to gather crucial data regarding the emissions.

"The Blue Condor project is a major milestone on our ZEROe journey as it will launch the first series of in-flight tests using a hydrogen combustion engine at Airbus," says Mathias Andriamisaina, Airbus Head of Zero-Emission Demonstrators. "These flight test campaigns will provide an excellent knowledge base on hydrogen's impact on engine behaviour, contrails and other non-CO2 emissions," he explained.
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About the author: Florina Spînu
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Florina taught herself how to drive in a Daewoo Tico (a rebadged Suzuki Alto kei car) but her first "real car" was a VW Golf. When she’s not writing about cars, drones or aircraft, Florina likes to read anything related to space exploration and take pictures in the middle of nature.
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