Hydroplane reaches rotor flight speeds with hydrogen fuel cell

Demonstration work under a U.S. Army contract has validated performance goals and advanced the company’s vertical lift fuel cell development programme.

Hydroplane has demonstrated full rotor flight speed on its hydrogen fuel cell rotor transmission test stand as part of a U.S. Army Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract. The milestone supports vertical lift development using a lightweight, modular fuel cell system.

“This phase of the programme 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,” says Hydroplane CEO Dr Anita Sengupta.

Work since November 2024 has included the development and testing of a rotary wing testbed with integrated electric-propulsion, a rotor transmission and 23-foot rotor.

Hydroplane’s system is intended as a combustion engine replacement for certified, experimental and future aircraft types. Its quiet operation and reduced heat signature are seen as aligning with Department of Defense needs for deployable and scalable energy platforms.

The company has also secured earlier contracts with the U.S. Navy and Air Force under Agility Prime, and won the 2024 xTechSearch 8 award for hydrogen-based energy storage.

Plans to present its vertical lift work at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025 reflect a dual focus on defence and commercial propulsion applications.