ZeroAvia and Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) have announced the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will see the two companies partner to develop a hydrogen-electric variant of the Airlander 10, a new type of hybrid aircraft that combines aerostatic lift, aerodynamic lift and vectored thrust.
The initial Airlander 10 is set to be powered by a set of four diesel engines, providing an emissions reduction of up to 90% when compared to aircraft with a similar capacity.
The integration of ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric propulsion will allow for full zero-emission in-flight operations capable of carrying more than 100 passengers, as well as enable reduced maintenance costs. Thus far, the company’s first generation 600kW hydrogen-electric powertrain, the ZA600, has already passed a number of regulatory milestones and secured a large amount of pre-orders.
ZeroAvia has also conducted flight testing of a prototype onboard a 19-seat aircraft, and with space for hydrogen storage within its hull; the Airlander will aim to become the first generation to adopt certified hydrogen technology that are steadily nearing market entry, including the aforementioned hydrogen storage, low temperature PEM fuel cell power generation and electric propulsion systems.
Val Miftakhov, Founder and CEO, ZeroAvia, said:Airlander is another exciting airframe for line-fit of our powertrains as it can open up a whole new market in air travel due to its range, efficiency and ability to operate from almost anywhere.
Like ZeroAvia, Hybrid Air Vehicles is an aerospace innovator with exciting manufacturing and growth plans for the UK that can deliver hundreds of well-paid jobs in different regions in the UK.
The new partnership hopes to build on HAV’s earlier R&D work exploring electric propulsion for Airlander, with the agreement also set to see the two companies study the potential application of ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric technology within future, larger aircraft developed by Hybrid Air Vehicles, as well as assess planned Airlander 10 operations.
Tom Grundy, CEO, Hybrid Air Vehicles, said:ZeroAvia has led the development of hydrogen-electric propulsion systems and made impressive progress commercially, technically and with regulators.
Our intention has always been to offer our customers a fully zero-emission variant of the Airlander, for efficiency and environmental reasons, and this partnership with ZeroAvia will help us in this direction.
