Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) has signed a letter of intent with the German start-up airline Evia Aero to supply 10 hydrogen fuel cell conversion kits for Britten-Norman Islander aircraft, the companies announced July 13.
Last month, Evia Aero launched its plans to convert the nine-seat Islander aircraft to employ a hydrogen propulsion system and to begin subregional flights with the modified aircraft in northern Europe. CAeS agreed to work with the company to convert the aircraft to hydrogen power. The two partners expect to have the converted aircraft approved for commercial service in 2025.
“These aircraft will support Evia Aero’s plans to develop sustainable aviation around the northern coasts of Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark and will contribute to the environmental concerns and goals of the region,” said Florian Kruse, Evia Aero’s founder and CEO. “By working closely with Cranfield Aerospace Solutions and their quickly evolving hydrogen aircraft solution, combined with Evia Aero’s commercial knowledge of the markets in Europe, Evia Aero is excited about the future and the application of this aircraft to fulfill the emerging need.”
The Islander aircraft, now in its sixth decade of production, currently runs on a pair of either piston or turboprop engines provided by Lycoming or Rolls-Royce, respectively. CAeS will replace these twin engines with a fuel cell and electronic motors that run on hydrogen gas.
UK-based CAeS has been developing its new propulsion system since 2019 and has received UK government funding through Project Fresson. While the company initially planned to produce a hybrid-electric power system, it abandoned that plan last year in favor of using hydrogen fuel cells with wing-mounted fuel tanks instead, as it determined that the hybrid system would not be viable for its performance objectives.
CAeS’s effort to convert the Islanders is only the first phase of its plans for Project Fresson, which aims to next convert a 19-seat commuter airliner to hydrogen power. Its ultimate goal is to develop hydrogen airliners that can carry up to 100 passengers, the company has said.
