Liquid-hydrogen-powered plane would fly from the UK to the US without refueling
- The FlyZero aircraft is capable of flying from San Francisco to London without refueling
- Because it’s powered by hydrogen, it is significantly ‘greener’ than current aircraft
- It is (nearly) twice the size of a Boeing 737
Published on Nov 29, 2023 at 7:12 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Dec 11, 2023 at 3:30 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Adam Gray
A UK government-backed company is working on a revolutionary aircraft that can travel halfway around the world without having to refuel.
And it’s capable of doing that thanks to one clever solution.
The Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) is working on a new aircraft called FlyZero.
The FlyZero is powered by liquid hydrogen, which is why the range is so massive.
The hydrogen-powered jet is fitted with tanks designed to store liquid hydrogen at minutes 250° Celsius (418° Fahrenheit).
It has four tanks in total, two at the back – the biggest ones – and two smaller ones at the front.
In car terms, this is a bit like having a rear-biased all-wheel drive car.
The FlyZero is relatively large.
It has a wingspan of 54 meters, nearly twice the size of a Boeing 737, and 279 seats.
It’s an ambitious project, and an expensive one at that.
But, at the moment, it is also slightly underfunded.
The ATI has received roughly $2.6 billion in funding in total, but the Institute has allocated a relatively small portion of that to the FlyZero program.
So far, they’ve only spent around $20 million, which is more or less peanuts when we’re talking about aircraft.
There’s no deadline yet, but the goal is have this hydrogen-powered jet ready by the next decade.
This is because that’s when major aerospace companies are planning to launch their own hydrogen-powered aircraft.
Airbus should lead the pack, with a hydrogen-powered airliner scheduled to debut in 2035.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
