AIR/WATER

H2FLY Hydrogen Plane Sets New Records

April 25, 2022

Meet the first hydrogen-powered electric airplane to fly between two European airports— and at more than 7000 ft.!

German aerospace company H2FLY has a new world altitude record with its four-seat HY4, which became the first hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft to reach an unofficial altitude record by soaring more than 7,000 ft (approx. 2,135 m) above Europe last week– less than a day after the HY4 successfully completed the first flight of a hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft from one active airport to another when it flew from Stuttgart to Friedrichshafen, Germany.

“This is a remarkable achievement for H2FLY, as no other hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft has flown between two commercial airports to date,” explains Dr. Josef Kallo, the CEO of H2FLY. “We are also thrilled to have set what we believe to be a new world record by reaching an altitude of over 7,000 feet with our HY4 aircraft. We want to thank our long-time partners Stuttgart Airport, University of Ulm, DLR Stuttgart, Friedrichshafen Airport, and AERO Friedrichshafen, for supporting us in our mission to make sustainable travel a reality.”

HY4 Fuel Cell Aircraft

The HY4 features a distinctive, twin-fuselage design that’s based on the Pipistrel Taurus G4 aircraft. But, while the G4 is a battery-electric aircraft powered by “conventional” Li-ion batteries, the HY4 is a hybrid design that uses a low-temperature hydrogen fuel cell system to charge its batteries in flight.

Hydrogen for the fuel cells is stored at less than 5,800 psi in two carbon composite tanks (one in each fuselage), that feed H into the fuel cell. The fuel cell generates electricity to power up the lithium-ion batteries, which provide a power boost during moments of peak demand by the 80-kW (about 107 hp) electric motor. The H2FLY HY4 has a cruising speed of 90 mph (145 km/h), and a projected range of up to 900 miles (1,500 km).