The British-American company ZeroAvia is one of the aviation companies that is investing in the development of fuel cell propulsion systems for aircraft. And after receiving approval from a British official to go ahead with the technology, a short video was released featuring the first test flight of a Dornier 228, a 19-seat aircraft modified to use its new electric motor powered by a hydrogen fuel cell system.
The test’s success, which can be seen in the video below, is another step in the race to develop more sustainable air transport.
The aircraft took off at the company’s research and development facility at Cotswold Airport in the UK and flew overhead for 10 minutes. The test was part of the HyFlyer II project, supported by the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), a British government entity, which seeks to create a zero-emission propulsion system for aircraft with a capacity of 9 to 19 passengers.
The twin-engine was adapted to incorporate ZeroAvia’s powertrain, while the 600 kW electric motor was placed only on the left wing to ensure safety. On the right was the Honeywell TPE-331 series engine.
The electric motor, in addition to the fuel cells, was powered by a battery that provided energy at times of maximum power demand, such as during takeoff. In this test configuration, the hydrogen tanks and fuel cells were housed inside the cabin — a configuration that will change for future commercial flights.
The idea is to carry out more tests to ensure the safety and operation of the operation so that this type of flight begins to enter the commercial scale from 2025.