Alaska Airlines has presented a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 regional turboprop aircraft to ZeroAvia to be retrofitted with its hydrogen-electric propulsion technology.
ZeroAvia will equip the 76-seat Q400 aircraft with its HyperCore electric motor technology as part of the company’s ongoing business plan to deliver zero-direct-emission flight.
![When Alaska Airlines’ regional carrier Horizon Air retired its Q400 fleet, it reserved one of the aircraft for research and development purposes](https://futuretransport-news.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-03-at-15.04.54.png)
This retrofit will utilise ZeroAvia’s multi-megawatt modular electric motor system: HyperCore, along with higher temperature PEM fuel cells and advanced power electronics. ZeroAvia considers these to be the three key building blocks for enabling commercially-relevant hydrogen fuel cell engines for larger aircraft.
As ZeroAvia continues to advance its in-house developments of these technologies, it expects to clear the way for a potential flight of the Q400.
Val Miftakhov, CEO and Founder of ZeroAvia, said:Demonstrating this size of aircraft in flight, powered entirely by novel propulsion, would have been unthinkable a few years ago. Launching this program puts us on track for a test flight next year, and accelerates our progress toward the future of zero-emission flight for Alaska Airlines and for the world at large.
Retrofitting the Dash 8-400 airframe with ZeroAvia’s powertrain will enable ZeroAvia to present a commercially viable hydrogen-electric aircraft with fuel cell engine technology that will be around five times more powerful than anything that has been demonstrated to date.
![ZeroAvia has been testing its 1.8MW electric propulsion system configuration with the stock Dash 8-400 engine gearbox and propeller](https://futuretransport-news.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Screenshot-2023-05-03-at-15.05.26.png)
To facilitate this accomplishment, ZeroAvia has established an engineering partnership with De Havilland of Canada, the original manufacturer of the Dash 8 family of aircraft. This partnership will enable the exchange of data and expertise with the airframe.
Ben Minicucci, Alaska Airlines CEO, said:This is a great step forward in aviation innovation, to help create a new future of flight – right here at home. Alaska Airlines has defined a five-part journey to achieve net zero carbon emissions long-term, but we can’t get there alone. New technologies are required to make that future possible, and we’re thrilled to partner with industry leader ZeroAvia to make new zero-emissions options a reality.