Airframes have looked much the same for more than half a century. So when something that deviates from the standard metallic cylinder comes along, this is usually cause for a lot of interest. Couple that with the promise of zero-emissions flying, and you have a match made in futuristic heaven. On Wednesday, Otto Aviation announced that it had reached an agreement with hydrogen fuel cell developer ZeroAvia to supply the latter's ZA600 zero-emission engines for the Celera aircraft.

Meet the Celera 500L

The Celera 500L is an innovative new model of transcontinental aircraft that is scalable to 19 passengers and could potentially revolutionize certain sectors of aviation. Its designer, Otto Aviation, says that this new agreement with ZeroAvia means it could become the first new airframe design to offer zero-emission propulsion in its launch models.

But what about storage of the hydrogen on board, you may ask. Compared to conventional airframes, the Celera design is already conducive to accommodating large volumes of hydrogen within the fuselage. This will enable a zero-emission range of 1,000 NM (1,852km). William Otto, CEO of Otto Aviation, commented on the new partnership,

“ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric powertrain helps us to realize the commitment Otto has made to lower operating costs and climate impact for operators. Otto is looking to provide the most efficient aircraft in all senses of the word: minimizing maintenance and operating costs and reducing emissions.”

Celera 500L from below
The aircraft has already performed numerous successful test flights. Photo: Otto Aviation

Even without the hydrogen fuel cell, the Celera aircraft has already delivered fuel and emission reductions of 80% less than comparable aircraft, its manufacturer says. Its current single powerplant is the Red A03 engine, which has received certification from both EASA and the FAA to operate on conventional jet fuel and biodiesel. By November last year, the aircraft had already performed 55 successful test flights at full scale, reaching speeds of over 250 mph at altitudes up to 15,000 feet.

Hopes for powertrain certification in two years time

By now, ZeroAvia is a familiar name to those who follow the future of aviation, particularly where hydrogen and hydrogen-electric is concerned. With an ambitious timeline of operating passenger flights between the Netherlands and the UK by 2024, the company has gathered investments en masse, counting deals with Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, De Havilland, among others. Chief Executive Officer Val Miftakhov shared the following statement on the latest collaboration,

“The majority of our commercial deals to date have focused on retrofit and line-fit for existing airframes, which is essential to deliver zero-emission flight to market as quickly as possible. However, efficiency gains from new airframe design can expand the impact of zero-emission aviation. We are pleased to collaborate with innovators, like Otto Aviation, bringing cutting-edge clean sheet designs to market as we can optimize the hydrogen-electric propulsion system for those designs.”

Celera 500L, Top View over desert
ZeroAvia's CEO says he is excited to work with a new airframe. Photo: Otto Aviation

The development of this 600kW powertrain is part of Project HyFlyer II, supported by the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industry Strategy (BEIS), Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), and Innovate UK through the ATI Programme.

ZeroAvia is preparing to operate the inaugural flight of its modified 19-seater Dornier-228 aircraft in the coming weeks, and intends to have the powertrain certified by 2024. The company is also retrofitting a second aircraft of the same type to conduct further flight testing.

What do you think of the Celera aircraft? Leave a comment below and join the conversation about the future of aviation.