Eco Factor: Zero-emission aircraft to be powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
The German Aerospace Center is working with Lange Aviation GmbH to develop next-generation fuel cell powered aircraft, the Antares H3. The Antares H3 is the successor of the Antares DLR-H2 aircraft, which was the first piloted aircraft capable of flying solely on hydrogen fuel cells.
The Antares H3 will be developed to set new range and endurance benchmarks with first flight scheduled to take place in 2011. Based on the Antares 20E as well as the Antares DLR-H2, the Antares H3 will use fuel cells instead of batteries, where hydrogen will combine with oxygen taken from surrounding air to produce electricity with water as the only byproduct.
The developers plan to achieve a range of up to 6000km and endurance of more than 50 hours with the Antares H3. The aircraft will have a wingspan of 23m and a maximum takeoff weight of 1.25 metric tons with a payload capacity of up to 200kg. It will have four external pods to house the fuel cells and the fuel.
Via: The Engineer
