Zeroavia, a British-American company, has announced that it will convert an out-of-service Bombardier Q400 regional aircraft into a hydrogen-powered plane. The Q400, with 76 seats, will become the largest hydrogen-powered aircraft. The conversion will replace the conventional engine with an electric one that receives its power from fuel cells. Zeroavia has developed a new electric motor with a power output of 1.8 megawatts and a new fuel cell system that can reach higher temperatures than before. The Hypercore motors will be offered in power levels ranging from 900 kilowatts to 5.4 megawatts, capable of powering planes with 40 to 80 seats.
The Dash 8-400, as the Q400 will be known after the conversion, is 33 meters long, has a wingspan of 28 meters, and can carry 76 passengers. Zeroavia will equip the Dash 8-400 with the 1.8-megawatt ZA2000 propulsion system, consisting of two motors, each with a power output of 900 kilowatts. The ZA2000 will use liquid hydrogen, unlike smaller engines that use gaseous hydrogen. Zeroavia plans to begin serial production of the ZA2000 propulsion system in 2027, enabling planes with a maximum of 80 seats to travel up to 1,100 kilometers.
The aviation industry aims to significantly reduce its CO2 emissions in the coming years. Airbus ZEROe is developing concepts for hydrogen-powered planes, with series production scheduled to begin in 2035. In addition to new designs, various companies are also working on converting existing aircraft models to hydrogen. Zeroavia’s conversion of the Q400 is the company’s largest project to date, and the demonstration of a plane of this size with a new type of propulsion system would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. The first flight of the Dash 8-400 has not yet been announced.
