21 April 2022
The four-seat HY4 aircraft with a hydrogen-electric powertrain has set a world record for altitude and flown the 77-mile journey between its base at Stuttgart to Friedrichshafen, ready to be shown at next week’s AERO event.
H2FLY is a Stuttgart-based developer of hydrogen fuel cell technologies for aircraft. Its demonstrator aircraft, the HY4, set what is believed to be a new world record for hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft, flying at an altitude of 7,230ft.
The flight from Stuttgart and Friedrichshafen was also the first time a hydrogen-electric passenger aircraft has been flown between two major airports.
Prof. Dr. Josef Kallo, co-founder and CEO of H2FLY said, “This is a remarkable achievement for H2FLY, as no other hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft has flown between two commercial airports to date.
“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.”
The HY4 will make its public debut at AERO Friedrichshafen. Up to now, testing of the HY4 has taken place exclusively in the test area around Stuttgart Airport.
The four-seat HY4 serves as a test platform to develop the propulsion system which will lead to a hydrogen-electric-powered, 40-seat Dornier 328, which will be developed jointly with Deutsche Aircraft by 2025.
Head of AERO Roland Bosch and show director Tobias Bretzel said in a joint statement, “Sustainable aviation is the central topic at this year’s AERO Friedrichshafen.
“We are, therefore, really pleased that Prof. Dr. Kallo and his team from H2FLY are celebrating a trade show world premiere at AERO Friedrichshafen with the HY4 hydrogen-electric aircraft.
“With the AERO Sustainable Aviation Trail, we are illustrating how innovative the entire general aviation sector and this year’s AERO are with over 75 registered exhibitors on this sustainability trail in 11 exhibition halls.”
