ZeroAvia secures green light for next phase of hydrogen-electric test flights
ZeroAvia’s Dornier 228 hydrogen fuel cell-powered test aircraft has secured the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) permission to start flying this month following an extensive ground testing campaign and a rigorous review of the full development programme.
It means that ZeroAvia, the leader in zero-emission aviation, can now begin the first test flights of its 600kW hydrogen-electric powertrain. The 19-seat twin-engine aircraft has been retrofitted in an engineering testbed configuration to incorporate ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric engine powering the propellor on its left wing, operating alongside a single Honeywell TPE-331 stock engine on the right for appropriate redundancy to allow the safe testing of the novel propulsion technology.
The test flights are set to be a landmark achievement for ZeroAvia and the HyFlyer II project, a major R&D programme backed by the UK Government’s ATI Programme, which targets the development of a 600kW hydrogen-electric powertrain for 9-19 seat aircraft.
For this testing programme, ZeroAvia has worked with the CAA in meeting a far more stringent set of requirements when compared to the E-Conditions framework ZeroAvia had used for its 6-seat prototype in 2020. Part 21 is an industry-standard term used to describe the regulatory approval of aircraft design and production organisations, and the certification of products, parts, and appliances for aircraft. Securing this permit to fly is a significant milestone in ZeroAvia’s path towards commercialisation.
He said it will pave the way for a commercially certifiable configuration for ZA600 to be submitted by the end of 2023, ahead of delivering powertrains for the first commercial routes for 9-19 seat aircraft to commence by 2025. With 1,500 engines under pre-order, partnerships with seven aircraft manufacturers and multiple fuel and airport partnerships, ZeroAvia is well positioned to lead the industry’s transformation to a clean future.
When test flights begin in January, ZeroAvia’s Dornier 228 testbed is expected to become the largest aircraft to ever fly using a hydrogen-electric powertrain.
ZeroAvia is a leader in zero-emission aviation, focused on hydrogen-electric aviation solutions to address a variety of markets, initially targeting a 300-mile range in 9–19 seat aircraft by 2025, and up to 700-mile range in 40–80 seat aircraft by 2027. Based in the UK and USA, ZeroAvia has already secured experimental certificates for its two-prototype aircraft from the CAA and FAA, passed significant flight test milestones, secured a number of key partnerships with major aircraft OEMs and major global airlines, and is on track for commercial operations in 2025. The company’s expanding UK operations are supported by grants from UK’s Aerospace Technology Institute and Innovate UK, and ZeroAvia is part of the UK Government’s Jet Zero Council