ZeroAvia has received clearance from the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to fly a modified version of its Dornier 288 aircraft fitted with a prototype hydrogen-electric powertrain. The company will begin test flights of the 19-seat twin-engine aircraft in January.
The aircraft features a 600 kW hydrogen-electric powertrain on the left wing, while the right wing features a standard Honeywell TPE-331 conventional engine. The dual design is intended to provide redundancy during testing.
Permission to fly the aircraft was granted after ZeroAvia conducted extensive ground testing of the aircraft and thoroughly reviewed its development program alongside the CAA. The specifications used to test the 19-seat aircraft were much more stringent than those used to test the company’s 2020 six-seat prototype hydrogen-electric model.
In a press release, Val Mifakhov, CEO of ZeroAvia, stated: “Receiving our full Part 21 approval to fly with the CAA is a critical milestone in the development of a zero-emission aircraft propulsion system that will be the industry’s most environmentally friendly and economical climate solution A hit. We will start 2023 in the best possible way, demonstrating through the flight that true zero-emission commercial flight is much closer than many think.”
Part 21 relates to the regulatory approval process for aircraft designs in the European Union and the United Kingdom.
The upcoming tests set the stage for ZeroAvia to develop a commercially operational version of the ZA600 by the end of 2023, with plans to begin commercial flights of the hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2025. When test flights begin, the Dornier 228 will be the largest aircraft ever to fly with a hydrogen-electric powertrain.
Source: PR Newswire
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