ZeroAvia

ZeroAvia is a British/American hydrogen-electric aircraft developer. The company was founded in 2017 by Valery Miftakhov, who currently serves as the company CEO.[1] ZeroAvia is developing hydrogen-fueled powertrain technology aiming to compete with conventional engines in propeller aircraft, with an aim of zero-emission and lower noise.[2] ZeroAvia expects to sell products by 2023 and demonstrate flights up to 500 miles (800 km) in aircraft of up to 20 seats.[3] According to the company, by 2026, ZeroAvia intends to fly an aircraft over 500 miles range in aircraft with up to 80 seats.[4]

ZeroAvia
IndustryAerospace
Founded2017
FounderValery Miftakhov
Key people
CEO: Valery Miftakhov
ProductsLight aircraft
Websitewww.zeroavia.com

History

In 2019, the company completed a number of flight tests of the electrical aspects of the initial powertrain design, where it was later reported that an external hydrogen tank was fitted to a Piper Matrix.[5]

The company moved to a facility in Cranfield, England in 2020. Installation and test of the ZA250 hydrogen–electric powertrain in a six–seat Piper Malibu took place at Cranfield during 2020, culminating in an eight-minute first flight of the hydrogen-electric Malibu in September that year.[6] It was the company's first commercial-scale hydrogen-electric-powered flight.[7] In December 2020, the company was awarded £12.3 million, from the UK Government's ATI Programme, to develop a 19 seat hydrogen powered aircraft with a 350-mile (560 km) flight to be completed by 2023.[8]

In March 2021, ZeroAvia launched development for a 2MW hydrogen-electric powertrain for full-size regional aircraft.[7] The following month, the company announced it would develop the HyFlyer II aircraft at Cotswold Airport.[9] On April 29, 2021, ZeroAvia's hydrogen-powered Piper M-class demonstrator testbed crashed in a field during a flight from Cranfield. No one was seriously hurt in the accident, but the aircraft received substantial damage, including losing its left wing, after apparently being forced to land following a power failure.[10][11][12] ZeroAvia obtained two Dornier 228 aircraft for the next phase of its 19-seat HyFlyer program in June.[7]

In August 2021, ZeroAvia completed its first high-power run of the ZA-600, a hydrogen aircraft engine. Ground testing included a flight-intent 600kW powertrain, which pulled a 15-ton HyperTruck mobile ground testing platform across the tarmac. The HyperTruck tests systems for 40-80 seat hydrogen-electric powered aircraft and is sized to ZeroAvia’s ZA-2000 2MW+ powertrain. These propulsion system tests are for the HyFlyer II programme, which hopes to develop a hydrogen-electric, zero-emission propulsion system for airframes 10-20 seats in size. Later in 2021, the first HyFlyer II’s Dornier 228 aircraft test-flights are anticipated to take place at the company’s Kemble facility.[7]

References
  1. Ltd, Renews (20 November 2020). "EMEC hydrogen refuelling kit takes flight". reNEWS - Renewable Energy News. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  2. Smith, Iain Duncan (20 November 2020). "Batteries are expensive, inflexible and will leave us dangerously reliant on China". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  3. "British Airways Teams Up With Hydrogen Flight Startup ZeroAvia". Bloomberg.com. 12 December 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  4. "British Airways teams up with ZeroAvia for hydrogen-powered flights". The National. 13 December 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  5. Boatman, Julia (15 August 2019). "ZeroAvia Breaks Silence on Hydrogen-Powered Matrix". FlyingMag.
  6. "Is the time now ripe for planes to run on hydrogen?". The Economist. 8 December 2020. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  7. "First high-power test for hydrogen aircraft engine complete at ZeroAvia". AeroSpace Manufacturing. 10 August 2021.
  8. "ZeroAvia secures £12.3m UK Government grant to bring 19-seat hydrogen-electric aviation powertrain to market". ZeroAvia. 16 December 2020.
  9. Freeman, Rob (8 April 2021). "Pioneering aircraft company lands in Gloucestershire". Punchline Gloucester.
  10. BBC (29 April 2021). "Occupants safe after plane crashes in Bedfordshire field". BBC News. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  11. Niles, Russ (1 May 2021). "ZeroAvia Hydrogen Test Bed Crashes After Off-Airport Landing". AV Web.
  12. Boatman, Julie (4 May 2021). "ZeroAvia Demonstrator Makes Off-Airport Landing". Flying Magazine.
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