
- 31 Aug 2024 02:59 AM
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Electric CTOL/STOL News, Sept/Oct 2024
Here’s our roundup of recent news on battery-electric, hybrid-electric and hydrogen-electric conventional takeoff and landing (eCTOL) and electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft for advanced air mobility (AAM) applications. (Note: All photos are courtesy of the respective companies unless otherwise stated.)
Universal Hydrogen Shuts Down
US propulsion developer Universal Hydrogen in late June confirmed reports that it had run out of cash and would shutter the company.
A landmark achievement for the startup — which designed modular hydrogen storage tanks for ground transport and on-aircraft use and was developing a hydrogen fuel cell-electric, megawatt-class powertrain — was the flight in March 2023 of a De Havilland Canada Dash 8-300 aircraft modified with an electric powertrain partially fueled by hydrogen (see “Electric CTOL/STOL News,” Vertiflite, May/June 2023).
Maeve Plans M80 Jet with P&W Canada
On July 24, during the Farnborough International Airshow, Netherlands-based Maeve Aerospace announced plans to partner with Pratt & Whitney Canada to develop its 76–96-seat hybrid-electric regional airplane, called the M80, by 2032. Maeve has said it aims to start the preliminary design review for the M80 by 2026. The start-up was founded in 2021 and had initially proposed the M101, a 44-passenger electric aircraft. P&WC is modifying a Dash 8-100 as a hybrid-electric technology demonstrator, but has released few details regarding the hybrid electric propulsion system it plans to test.
VoltAero Adds Partnerships, Orders
During the Farnborough International Airshow, VoltAero announced on July 22 a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for aircraft trader Global Sky to purchase 15 of its Cassio aircraft, making it a launch candidate for service in Southeast Asia.
The French company also announced on July 24 a partnership with Sigma Air Mobility to potentially include a route demonstration pilot project and identification of services for the Cassio air ambulance version. VoltAero will also expand its propulsion development partnership with Kawasaki Motors, which detailed its plans for both a hybrid-electric engine and eventually a hydrogen fuel powertrain for the Cassio aircraft.
ZeroAvia Announces Multiple New Deals
American Airlines announced on July 2 an increased investment in ZeroAvia Inc. in a Series C round and ordered 100 hydrogen-electric fuel-cell powertrains, while Dutch carrier KLM will partner on a demonstration flight of the powertrain in 2026, ZeroAvia announced on July 24. During the Farnborough International Airshow, ASL Aviation also signed a conditional purchase agreement for up to 20 ZA2000 hydrogen-electric fuel cells to power some of its ATR 72 freighters, while Switzerland’s JEKTA selected ZeroAvia’s fuel cell power to demonstrate on a modified version of its PHA-ZE 100 amphibious aircraft. Electra Test Flight Virginia-based Electra Aero test flew its EL-2 Goldfinch eSTOL demonstrator aircraft at NASA’s Langley Research Center on July 15 amid an ongoing partnership to develop its hybrid-electric aircraft. This followed a previous test flight announced in July at a grass field near Electra’s Manassas facility that demonstrated its STOL capability “operating from austere fields smaller than 300 ft [91 m] that are minimally prepared.” Meanwhile, Electra’s strategic investor Honeywell announced on July 24 that it would provide flight controls and electromechanical actuation systems for the company’s nine-passenger production aircraft, which Electra aims to certificate by 2028.
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