Hydrogen is a Game Changer for Vertical Flight

Last edited Sat Aug 3, 2024, 07:31 PM - Edit history (1)

On June 24, 2024, Joby’s hydrogen-electric technology demonstrator aircraft completed a 523-mile flight above Marina, California, with no in-flight emissions except water. JOBY AVIATION

Hydrogen is a Game Changer for Vertical Flight

Mike Hirschberg | Forbes | Aug 1, 2024

Several companies are developing H2eVTOL aircraft demonstrators. As summarized in a recent breakthrough article in the July/August 2024 issue of the VFS Vertiflite magazine, Alaka’i, Unither Bioelectronics, Joby and Piasecki have each been making strides to combine hydrogen-electric propulsion with vertical flight. When the article was written in May, Alaka’i was the only company who had flown a large VTOL aircraft on hydrogen fuel cells, flying distances of hundreds of feet.

However, on July 11, Joby announced that it had converted its second S4 aircraft (N542BJ) — after its final beVTOL flight on May 2 — to an H2eVTOL demonstrator and completed a 523-mile (842-km) flight on June 24. This Joby SHy4 hydrogen-electric technology demonstrator aircraft flew around Marina, California, for more than 4 hours and 47 minutes “with no in-flight emissions except water,” the company stated, and landed with 10% of its hydrogen fuel remaining. By the end of July, the SHy4 had made several, even longer flights.

Although the aircraft was again flown without anyone aboard, this huge leap in capability was a testament to the potential of hydrogen fuel cell electric propulsion. As shown in the VFS graphic comparing different fuels, hydrogen has a specific energy approximately 3.25 times less (lighter) than kerosene, although an energy density around a quarter that of kerosene, i.e., it requires about four times as much storage for the hydrogen fuel. In addition, the “balance of plant” — all the supporting components and auxiliary systems other than the fuel cell stack itself — also greatly adds to the size and weight required for hydrogen-electric propulsion...more
https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikehirschberg/2024/07/31/hydrogen-is-a-gamechanger-for-vertical-flight/