The Antares DLR-H2, the world’s first piloted aircraft utilizing power drawn solely from fuel cells, took off from Hamburg Airport on July 7, 2009. Antares DLR-H2 was developed by the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- and Raumfahrt , or DLR, (German Aerospace Center). The propulsion system of the aircraft was developed at the DLR Institut für Teknische Thermdyanmik-Stuttgart. The system uses hydrogen as its fuel, and this is converted into electrical energy in a direct, electrochemical reaction with oxygen in the ambient air, without any combustion occurring. According to DLR, fuel cells may be a long way from becoming the primary energy source of commercial aircraft, but they already constitute an interesting alternative to existing energy systems as a reliable on-board power supply source.Learn more details in the DLR press release.
First Piloted, Fuel-Cell Powered Aircraft Takes Off in Hamburg
