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This is now on Protos Twitter..................
Piltick - my initial thought was to chuckle and think of Howard Hughes. Then DR would say no.
Then I gave it a bit more thought and started to think more long term. I doubt it would be profitable however there is a large number of 747's heading to the scrap yard. In aviation terms parts are cheap and so are the planes. Could a DMG fit in a stripped out 747, maybe. I suspect it would be a lot cheaper and wiser to fly prospective customers into Manchester airport and view the Protos DMG when operational.
Wolves
Will they be able to install a DMG unit on board a plane?
The company believes that because its powertrain has fewer moving parts and therefore is more reliable and needs less maintenance than current technology, it offer lower running costs.
Fuel savings
Once the infrastructure that makes hydrogen readily available is established, it will also offer savings on fuel.
Together these are expected to offer running costs that are 20pc below current systems, with fuel and maintenance typically representing half of airline costs.
Earlier this week Airbus also revealed designs for aircraft powered by hydrogen, as the pan-European aerospace giant looks to the future.
The world’s first flight of a commercial-grade aircraft powered by a hydrogen fuel cell has taken place, with UK-based ZeroAvia flying a six-seater Piper Malibu plane from Cranfield University’s airport.
Val Miftakhov, chief executive of the start-up, was one of the pilots on the eight-minute flight which saw the aircraft – registration G-HYZA in a nod to its fuel source – do two circuits of the Bedfordshire airfield, reaching 1,000ft and 100 knots.
The flight was used to demonstrate the viability of the ZeroAvia’s 800-volt emission-free powertrain, which turns hydrogen into electricity to drive the Piper’s propellor.
It was also the culmination of a two-and-a-half year, £5.5m programme funded jointly by Mr Miftakhov, private investors and the British government.
“This first flight is symbolic, getting the aircraft into the air, but I’ve no nerves as we have done so much ground testing,” Mr Miftakhov said.
A hydrogen fuelled Piper Malibu plane prepares to take off Cranfield University airstrip
A Piper Malibu plane converted to use a hydrogen power source prepares to take off from Cranfield University airstrip CREDIT: ZeroAvia
The aircraft was fuelled with 4lb 6oz of hydrogen gas for the flight, which is run through a “stack” that converts it into electricity with the only byproducts being water and heat. The hydrogen-electric power system replaces the aircraft’s existing petrol-powered internal combustion engine.
Now ZeroAvia is planning a series of demonstration flights with 33lb of fuel, which should give the aircraft a range of 300 miles and performance comparable to a conventional engine.
Although small aircraft have made flights powered by hydrogen before, the company believes that putting its system into a “stock” aircraft will pave the way for a new generation in flight, with ZeroAvia at its heart.
“We are helping the authorities write the rulebook on certifying hydrogen aircraft,” Mr Miftakhov said. “It gives us an huge early mover advantage.”
A boost to UK industry
Within three years ZeroAvia, which is based at Cranfield having relocated from the US in 2019, aims to be building power systems in the UK for 20-seat regional aircraft with ranges of 500 miles, and by 2025 will have larger version suitable for 100-seat airliners.
ZeroAvia fly a six-seater, hydrogen powered, Piper Malibu plane from Cranfield University’s airport
ZeroAvia believes the global market for hydrogen-powered aircraft the size of the Malibu is worth about £3.9bn a year CREDIT: ZeroAvia
According to the company’s calculations, an aircraft the size of a Boeing 737 can easily carry enough of the gas to give it a range of 4,000 miles.
Mr Miftakhov said: “We chose to set up in the UK because in Europe there is a better understanding of sustainability than in North America.
“There is a great ecosystem here, with technology, industry and a government which is backing environmentally friendly aviation.
“In the UK we have the Je