Eco-friendly plane made historic flight that lasted 15 minutes

Universal Hydrogen, an airline dedicated to becoming North America’s first zero-emission airline, has accomplished a historic 15-minute test flight using a fuel-cell hydrogen engine in a 40-seat Dash-8 commuter plane. The power plant is the biggest ever to take to the skies, and it features a fuel cell from Plug Power and an electric motor made by MagniX.

To fit the engine, 30 kg (66 pounds) of liquid hydrogen, and two racks of electronics and sensors, the Dash-8 underwent extensive modifications. A regular Pratt & Whitney turboprop engine was mounted to the right wing for safety purposes while the hybrid engine was solely installed on the left side of the aircraft.

Using its own modules, Universal Hydrogen was able to retain the extremely flammable gas in liquid form for up to 100 hours and provide emissions-free “green” hydrogen (produced through electrolysis using renewable energy sources) to the engines. While the turbine engine was mostly used for takeoff, during the second circuit, pilots were able to cruise primarily on hydrogen power. The highest point of the flight was 3,500 feet.

FAA has approved the flight, and earlier this year, the British/American company ZeroAvia flew a 19-seat Dornier 228 aircraft with a similar arrangement. A 100-seat aeroplane might be powered by a fuel cell that Airbus has stated it is developing, while Rolls-Royce recently finished testing a jet engine that has been modified to run only on hydrogen fuel.

However, there are still some potential issues. Hydrogen only has about a fifth of the energy density of standard jet A fuel, making it suitable for only short hops.