Joby-Backed Firm Completes Piloted Flights of Liquid Hydrogen-Powered Aircraft

The eVTOL manufacturer’s subsidiary H2Fly said the tests marked the world’s first such flights.

Jack Daleo

Friday, September 08, 2023 at 02:03 PM ET

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H2Fly’s HY4 demonstrator, powered by liquid hydrogen, takes flight in the skies over Slovenia. [Courtesy: H2Fly]

Key Takeaways:

Joby Aviation's subsidiary, H2Fly, achieved the world's first piloted flight of a liquid hydrogen-powered electric aircraft, significantly extending the aircraft's range.
This successful test, part of the Project HEAVEN consortium, demonstrates the viability of liquid hydrogen for medium- and long-range, zero-emission flights, paving the way for commercial applications.
While promising, the use of liquid hydrogen in aviation faces challenges including high production costs, safety concerns, and complex logistics related to storage and transportation.
H2Fly plans to commercialize its hydrogen fuel cell technology, aiming to integrate it into larger aircraft and potentially establish a hydrogen aviation center to support wider industry adoption.

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In 2021, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi developer Joby Aviation secretly acquired a company producing hydrogen aircraft fuel cell systems. This week, that company did something no other firm has done.

Joby subsidiary H2Fly on Thursday revealed it completed piloted flights of its four-seater HY4 demonstrator powered by liquid hydrogen, a milestone it says is the world’s first. The company made four takeoffs from an airfield in Maribor, Slovenia, using cryogenically stored liquid hydrogen to power a hydrogen-electric fuel cell system, which kept the aircraft in the sky for over three hours on one occasion.