The German HY4 has set a new record for hydrogen-powered airliners

The Stuttgart-based company H2FLY boasted about the latest achievement of its HY4 four-seater, which on April 13 set a new record for passenger aircraft powered by this type of fuel. It is all about the flight ceiling and the flight from one airport to another.

German HY4 airliner from H2FLY with a new record

The German HY4 became the first hydrogen-powered airliner to reach altitudes above 2,134 meters. In addition, this flight was the first time that a hydrogen-powered passenger plane was flown from one major airport to another, covering 124 km from Stuttgart to Friedrichshafen on April 12.

This work, based on the Pipistrel Taurus G4 with its characteristic double-hull structure, is a hybrid structure powered by a low-temperature hydrogen fuel cell system. Responsible for them is the DLR Institute of Technical Thermodynamics (DLR) in cooperation with Hydrogenics, which set up two carbon composite tanks (one in each hull) with hydrogen stored at a pressure of ~ 400 bar.

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These tanks power the fuel cell, while the lithium-ion batteries supply the 80-kW electric motor with energy. The cruising speed of the aircraft is 145 km / h, and the expected range is up to 1500 km with minimal load and optimal flight conditions. H2FLY expects to fly hydrogen-electric planes carrying up to 40 passengers up to 2,000 km in “just a few years”.