April 2013 – October 2015
Fuel cell research platform
[The Antares DLR H2] was the world's first hydrogen fuel cell research aircraft.
The aircraft was designed and operated by German Aerospace Center (DLR) and used with fuel cells and batteries in a hybridized configuration. The flight test campaign included initial handling testing with different flaperon settings focusing on slow speed handling in turning flight. Cruise performance and endurance testing was followed by climb performance identification including best angle and rate of climb. The powertrain behavior and finetuning was a constant focus during the whole campaign. The range estimation model for the battery was validated during several endurance flights. After envelope extension flights in slow speed, stall speeds and handling were determined during level and turning flights with banks up to 30 degrees and all flaperon settings.
August 2016 – today
Fuel cell research platform
HY4 is the first four-seat aircraft powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
The aircraft is used as a research and development testbed and operated by German company H2FLY. We were involved with flight testing of both generations of HY4 in 2016 and 2020. The flight test campaign in 2016 mainly took place in Slovenia and led to a successful public flight in Stuttgart, Germany in late fall of the same year. The second flight test campaign was part of the EU funded project MAHEPA led by Pipistrel in cooperation with Compact Dynamics, DLR, University of Ulm, H2FLY, Delft University of Technology, Politecnico di Milano and University of Maribor. During this time, the flight test campaign with our involvement as flight test crew, went from planning phase through ground testing, first flight and performance testing. Further endurance testing led to initial flight times reaching 2 hours.
June 2018 – Dec 2019
German experimental aircraft
The Lancair 360 was flight tested with the purpose to prepare for the certification in the limited national category.
At the start of the program this particular aircraft had already flown for several hundred hours. The program started after significant modifications to the engine and the propeller. Initially a precise airspeed indicator system calibration was established during several flights, followed by stall speed and handling identification for different configurations. After addressing several cooling issues, we started the performance testing to derive all necessary performance tables needed for the handbook. In the last part of the campaign, the noise measurements with the new propeller and mufflers were done to achieve the noise certificate.
January 2021 – today
Air Race E electric aircraft
We support the team of Hangar-1 in the development phase and further flight testing of the Cassutt racer that will be competing in [AirRaceE]
Our initial focus is the system concept and operational aspects derived from the racing mission and flight test requirements. The next phase includes flight testing of the combustion engine version of the Cassutt with the Continental C-90 still installed. This phase leads to a performance model that will be used for the detailed design of the electric powertrain.The aircraft’s purpose is to demonstrate several new technologies in demanding flight environments. Our technology partners include high power and energy density battery system manufacturers as well as light with power inverters and additive manufactured heat exchangers. The flight testing phase of the electrified version of the Cassutt is planned for early 2022.
February 2021 – today
Air Race E electric aircraft
[Team NL] is one of the international teams that will be competing in [AirraceE].
We are supporting Team NL in the development phase of the aircraft with input regarding cockpit design, operational aspects, flight test planning and execution of the flight test program. The aircraft is one of the few clean-sheet designs for the electric racing class. It is a single seat configuration built of high performance lightweight composites. The propulsion system consists of two motors driving counter-rotating propellers, allowing to reach speeds in excess of 240 KTAS with 150 kW of available power at full throttle. Part of the team is working remotely from around the world on the detailed design of the aircraft. The core of it is located in the Netherlands and led by Rick Boerma.