ZeroAvia performs maiden test flight using 19-seat Dornier with hydrogen-electric engine

ZeroAvia, the US/UK hydrogen-electric aircraft developer has announced the successful maiden test flight of its 19-seat Dornier 228 testbed aircraft. The flight saw the Dornier become the world’s largest aircraft to be flown with a full-size hydrogen-electric powertrain. The hydrogen-electric engine had been retrofitted to the left wing of the aircraft while a single Honeywell TPE-331 stock engine remained on the right wing.

The plane took off from the company’s R&D facility at Cotswold Airport in Gloucestershire, UK, and the flight lasted ten minutes. The aircraft completed taxi, take-off, a full pattern circuit and landing. This successful maiden flight forms part of the HyFlyer II project, a major R&D programme backed by the UK Government’s flagship ATI Programme, which targets development of a 600kW powertrain to support 9-19 seat aircraft worldwide with zero-emission flight. This is the largest ZeroAvia engine tested so far and sees the company on target to achieve certification in 2023.

ZeroAvia’s 2-5 MW powertrain programme which is already in progress will scale the clean engine technology for up to 90-seat aircraft, with further expansion into narrow-body aircraft demonstrators over the next decade. ZeroAvia’s HyFlyer II programme to develop its ZA-600 hydrogen-electric engine and retrofit the Dornier 228 is being delivered in partnership with EMEC and Aeristech and is supported by the UK Government through the ATI Programme and the Department for Business, Energy Industrial Strategy, Innovate UK and Aerospace Technology Institute.

There has also been significant commercial momentum for ZeroAvia in recent months, including an engine order from American Airlines, a partnership agreement with OEM Textron Aviation and infrastructure partnerships with airports including Rotterdam, Edmonton International and AGS Airports. The company also has 1,500 engines on pre-order, partnerships with seven aircraft manufacturers and a number of fuel and airport partnerships.