The aircraft manufacturer is converting the very first Airbus A380 into a hydrogen test aircraft. To do this, he installed an additional engine at the rear of the fuselage. It comes from CFM.
Airbus has found a partner for the development of hydrogen propulsion among engine manufacturers. The aircraft manufacturer will set up a hydrogen demonstrator program together with CFM International, a joint venture between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines, it announced on Tuesday (February 22).
“The aim of the program is to test a hydrogen-powered direct combustion engine in ground and flight tests in preparation for the entry into service of a zero-emission aircraft, which is planned for 2035,” said Airbus. The test vehicle will be the first ever built Airbus A380 with the serial number MSN001.
Four tanks in one container
The superjumbo will have a test engine at the top of the rear fuselage. It is fed with liquid hydrogen from four tanks installed in a hermetically sealed container on the main deck. In total, the aircraft should be able to carry 400 kilograms of hydrogen for the test, according to Airbus Technical Director Sabine Klauke.
CFM will modify the combustor, fuel system and control system of a GE Passport turbofan engine to run on hydrogen. The engine builder will first carry out extensive ground tests.
First flights only at the end of 2026
On the A380, the special position of the engine should then ensure that emissions, including contrails, can be monitored separately from the emissions from the four A380 engines. According to Sabine Klauke, tests on the ground should begin in 2022. “We plan to start flights at the end of 2026.” This is a little later than last expected, when the year 2025 was being discussed for a first flight.
The head of technology explained that the A380 is ideal for the tests because it offers a lot of space and therefore many options for installing test facilities. There will also be small changes in the cockpit. There will be a separate thrust lever for the hydrogen engine, as well as a display with the most important operating data.
In the image gallery above you can see how the hydrogen A380 should look like.
