Commuter Turboprop Testbed to Take Flight in Early 2023

The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has granted a permit to fly for ZeroAvia’s upcoming hydrogen-electric Dornier 228.

The hybrid commuter aircraft will fly after an "extensive ground testing campaign and a rigorous review of the full development program" according to recent company announcements.

With the approval ZeroAvia can now begin the first test flights of its 600kW hydrogen-electric powertrain. The 19-seater twin-engine Dornier 228 has been fitted into a test bed to evaluate the hybrid engine on the left wing while retaining its OEM Honeywell TPE-331 on the right. The combination should allow for redundancy and safety in flight, should any unforeseen issues arise.

ZeroAvia's HyFlyer II project could see similar advancement as the system moves to completion. HyFlyer is a major R&D program backed by the UK Government’s ATI Program aimed at delivering a 600kW hydrogen-electric powertrain for 9-19 seat aircraft. Thanks to preexisting relationships with the CAA, ZeroAvia has been able to establish "far more stringent requirements" for their new tester than they had under their previous E-Conditions framework. That program saw use for the company's 6-seat prototype in 2020.

ZeroAvia has not issued an exact timeframe to expect their flight testing, merely stating that the first of the test regimen will begin sometime in early 2023.

FMI: www.zeroavia.com