French Hydrogen-Powered Aircraft Completes Successful Test

Beyond Aero has completed a successful test flight campaign of a manned aircraft powered by hydrogen-electric powertrains.

Named after French aviator Louis Blériot who made the first airplane flight across the English Channel, the prototype aircraft dubbed ‘Blériot’ is a retrofitted one-seat G1 SPYL-XL.

The aircraft completed 10 take-offs including two complete flights and reached an altitude of 2,300ft and a climbing speed of 110km/h.

It is said to be France’s “first” electric flight of a manned aircraft operating with hydrogen-electric propulsion.

Beyond Aero has revealed that the test flights conducted at the Gap-Tallard airfield used a hybrid ratio of two-thirds gaseous hydrogen to one-third batteries, using a fuel cell.

Utilising 1.2kg of hydrogen stored in three tanks at 340 bar, the fuel cell system generates a maximum electrical power of 85kW, which during a three-month ground test campaign demonstrated 170kg of thrust.

Going forward, Beyond Aero is aiming to build the first hydrogen-electric powered business aircraft to enable passengers to fly up to 800NM.