France’s BeyondAero reports it has achieved the country’s first flight of a crewed aircraft powered by a hydrogen-electric engine
According to a company press release:
“This 85kW aircraft serves as a demonstrator, validating the feasibility of Beyond Aero’s power train architecture as well as the manufacturer’s capability to make possible, certifiable and profitable the first electric business aircraft designed for hydrogen propulsion.
The aircraft is a retrofit from a ULA aircraft model G1SPYL-XL. The propulsion system is 100% hydrogen-electric, driving a single propeller. The powertrain, showcased at the last Paris Air Show in June on a bench, features an unprecedented hybridization ratio: two-thirds of its power comes from a hydrogen fuel cell, with the remaining third supplied by batteries.
Starting in January, the flight test campaign was conducted at the Gap-Tallard airfield, over the skies of Southern France.The BeyondAero team completed 10 takeoffs, reaching an altitude of 2,300 feet above sea level and a climbing speed of 110km/h.
The Blériot prototype operates on 1.2kg of gaseous hydrogen stored in three tanks at 340 bar, generating a maximum electrical power of 85kW.
For more information
https://beyondaero.cdn.prismic.io/beyondaero/65dd95bf3a605798c18c50a3_PressRelease-BlériotFlight.pdf