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German Engineers Are One Step Closer to a Liquid Hydrogen-Electric Passenger Aircraft

Project Heaven brought together several important names in European aerospace, including DLR, Pipistrel Vertical Solutions, Air Liquide Advanced Technologies (a cryogenic tank developer), and H2Fly, a company looking to develop a hydrogen-electric powertrain. The project has reached a new milestone with the successful testing of a liquid hydrogen tank for the HY4 aircraft.
H2Fly and its partners have kicked off the integration of the liquid hydrogen tank for this aircraft 7 photos
Photo: H2Fly
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A handful of engineers from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the University of Ulm launched the H2Fly company with the goal of developing a regional aircraft with hydrogen-electric propulsion for commercial passenger flights. The four-seat prototype that’s been developed over the past decade is called HY4.

Earlier this year, the HY4 hit two milestones. First, it became the first airplane of its kind to fly between two commercial airports after having completed a trip from Stuttgart to Friedrichshafen. Then, it claimed to have set a world altitude record as the first hydrogen-air-breathing aircraft to fly at 7,230 feet (2,203 meters).

The project has recently reached another milestone. The liquid hydrogen tank integration began after the tank passed the vibration and leakage test. Over the next months, the tank and the fuel cells will be fully integrated into the aircraft. This should be completed by the end of the year, so that ground testing can be kicked off at the beginning of 2023.

An efficient storage solution for liquid hydrogen is essential for future aircraft to be able to offer higher ranges – one of the most important requirements for regional operations.

H2Fly believes that this would be the world’s first passenger aircraft to use liquid hydrogen. The ultimate goal is to have a 40-passenger regional aircraft powered by liquid hydrogen, with a range of 2,000 km (1,243 miles). For this goal, H2Fly is working with Deutsche Aircraft on a CS25-class aircraft equipped with H2Fly’s fuel cell system. The prototype is expected to take to the sky by 2025.
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 Download: H2Fly Reaches Milestone for Its Liquid Hydrogen Aircraft (PDF)

About the author: Otilia Drăgan
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Otilia believes that if it’s eco, green, or groundbreaking, people should know about it (especially if it's got wheels or wings). Working in online media for over five years, she's gained a deeper perspective on how people everywhere can inspire each other.
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