An unmanned hydrogen fuel cell-powered jet has reached speeds of 200km/h in tests in Switzerland.

The Hyfish – developed by Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft-und Raumfahrt, the German air and space centre – also put on a display of aerial acrobatics with a series of vertical climbs and loops above the hills outside Bern.

The 6kg unmanned vehicle has a wingspan of 1m and is 1.2m long, while the fuel cell stack delivers a peak power of 1.3kW weighs 800g.

Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies, which helped to create the Hyfish, claims that it is the first fast plane with jet wings able to fly with only a hydrogen fuel cell as a power source.

The firm is now planning three other unmanned aerial vehicle projects with fuel cells in the coming year.

George Gu, President and Chief executive of Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies, said: "We are very proud of the great technological progress achieved on our fuel cell designs in the last 12 months. We are confident that record-breaking 15 to 30 hour flight times are now within reach for small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles [UAVs], which would offer new and disruptive possibilities in the aviation industry."

The HyFish will be on display at this year's Hannover Fair from April 16th to 20th.

Source: World’s first zero emission, hydrogen fuel cell jet

06/04/07

http://www.horizonfuelcell.com/hyfish.htm  

Source: Unmanned hydrogen fuel cell jet makes history

06/04/07

http://www.h2daily.com/news/unmanned-hydrogen-fuel-cell-jet-makes-history-20070414-250-50.html  



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