Hydroplane Achieves Flight Speed on Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered Rotor Test Stand
Hydroplane has demonstrated full rotor flight speed on its hydrogen fuel cell powered rotor transmission test stand, bringing hydrogen powered rotorcraft flight one step closer to reality.
The achievement is part of the modular hydrogen fuel cell powerplant developer’s XTech8 Phase 1 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract with the U.S. Army. Awarded last fall, the contract calls for both outlining the expected capabilities and performance of the hydrogen fuel cell powerplant for a range of Army use cases and conducting a prototype demonstration for vertical lift.
“This phase of the program was focused on validating both the performance and mission relevance of our lightweight hydrogen fuel cell powerplant for vertical lift and extended-range UAV/UAS operations,” said Dr. Anita Sengupta, CEO of Hydroplane.
Sengupta added, “Since the contract award last November, we’ve developed and tested a full-scale rotary wing testbed, integrating our electric-propulsion system with a rotor transmission and 23-foot rotor to achieve stable operation at flight-representative rotor speeds.”
Hydroplane’s modular hydrogen fuel cell powerplant is engineered to replace internal combustion engines in certified, experimental and next-generation aircraft, as well as auxiliary power units. Its quiet operation, reduced thermal signature and scalable architecture align with Department of Defense priorities for resilient, logistically flexible energy solutions across the battlespace.
In addition to its current work with the U.S. Army, Hydroplane was named a winner of the 2024 xTechSearch 8 competition for its mobile hydrogen-based energy storage concept. The company has also completed prior SBIR contracts with the U.S. Navy and two with the U.S. Air Force under the Agility Prime initiative.
Dr. Sengupta will present Hydroplane's vertical lift developments during two technical talks at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025.
PRESENTATIONS
Vertical Flight Society’s 19th Annual Aircraft Symposium at EAA Air Venture
Propulsion & Energy Session 1
When: Saturday, July 19; 3:15 pm – 4:15 pm CDT
Where: University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Reeve Memorial Union, 748 Algoma Blvd., Oshkosh
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025
Hydroplane H2-Powered Rotorcraft Forum
When: Monday, July 21; 4 pm – 5:15 pm CDT
Where: EAA Museum – Vette Theater (B-8)