World’s most fuel-efficient experimental aircraft to be powered by hydrogen

The Otto Aviation Group’s experimental aircraft, the Celera 500L, already consumes around 80% less fuel than a similarly sized aircraft thanks to its streamlined design.

Founded in 2008, the US-based Otto Aviation Group officially unveiled its specially shaped Celera 500L aircraft in 2020, which is designed to use orders of magnitude less fuel than its peers in the same class. The designers promise that the propeller-driven aircraft will be able to compete with private business jets on the market in terms of top speed and other flight characteristics, while costing a fraction of the operating costs. Now, the aircraft manufacturer Otto Aviation Group will work with ZeroAvia, a company that develops and builds hydrogen-electric propulsion solutions for aircraft, to convert the Celera 500L into a hydrogen-powered aircraft, according to New Atlas.

Based on the footage and public information available so far, the Celera 500L can indeed compete with entry-level private jets. According to its developers, the six-seater can reach speeds of up to 740km/h and a range of more than 8,300km, while its fuel consumption – and therefore operating costs – are a fraction of those of a private jet. Otto Aviation announced last November that they had completed the first test flights of the specially designed aircraft.

Source: newatlas.com