© Provided by KOMO-TV 4, Seattle, via MSN.
First hydrogen-powered airplane takes flight in Moses Lake
From KOMO-TV 4, Seattle, via MSN:
The first flight of a hydrogen-powered airplane was a success this week, showing zero-emissions air travel could be on the horizon.
The 40-passenger regional airliner using hydrogen fuel cell propulsion took off at 8:41 a.m. Thursday [March 2] from Grant County International Airport [Moses Lake] and flew 15 minutes, reaching an altitude of 3,500 MLS. The aircraft, nicknamed Lightning McClean, was developed by California-based company Universal Hydrogen.
Caption: Video showing the hydrogen-powered airplane in flight on March 2, 2023. (Courtesy: Universal Hydrogen)
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted Universal Hydrogen approval in February for the test flight under a special airworthiness certificate. The flight was the first in a two-year flight test campaign expected to culminate in 2025 with entry into passenger service of ATR 72 regional aircraft converted to run on hydrogen, according to a news release from the company.
Universal Hydrogen said it is “rapidly” receiving orders for the hydrogen-powered aircraft. So far, the company has orders for 247 aircraft conversions from 16 customers worldwide, “totaling over $1 billion in conversions backlog over $2 billion in fuel services over the first 10 years of operation.”
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