ZeroAvia Studies Hydrogen-Electric Uncrewed Caravan For USAF

Hydrogen propulsion developer ZeroAvia has teamed with autonomous flight specialist Reliable Robotics for a U.S. Air Force-funded study into integrating hydrogen-electric propulsion onto a Cessna Caravan alongside automation technology to create a heavy uncrewed aircraft with reduced detectability.

The goal of the study, funded by the Air Force’s AFWerx innovation unit, is to analyze the potential for developing an 8,000-lb. gross-weight autonomous aircraft with hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion for reduced engine noise and thermal signature.

The single-turboprop Caravan is the first application targeted by ZeroAvia for retrofit with its 600-kW ZA600 hydrogen-electric powertrain. The startup is working with the FAA and UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on certification of the propulsion system and its installation in the Caravan.

“It is a hugely important signal to see the U.S. Air Force exploring the potential application of hydrogen fuel cells and electric propulsion in heavy unmanned aircraft,” ZeroAvia founder and CEO Val Miftakhov says. The study will investigate how fuel cell propulsion can reduce detectability and operating costs and derisk the fuel supply chain, he says, as hydrogen can be produced at the point of refueling from electricity and water.

The startup has launched certification work on the 600-kW electric propulsion system with the FAA while in parallel it is working with the UK CAA to certify the associated fuel-cell power generation and gaseous-hydrogen energy storage systems. ZeroAvia is aiming for service entry on the Caravan in 2026-27.

“The Cessna Caravan is our launch vehicle, but there are other manufacturers that we’re shipping the electric propulsion system to for integration and they will be launching in the 2026-27 time frame as well,” Miftakhov says.

“Our certification approach is we will go for the Part 33 type certification for the [ZA600] engine and for that we don’t actually need to do a lot of flight testing,” he says. Supplemental type certification on the Caravan will require flight testing, but it may be minimal, he says.

“We do need to take it to altitude, but then there is a question of what limitations do you put on the engine? Do you really need to take it to altitude in the aircraft?” he says. “With just an electrical motor and power electronics, you can go to an altitude chamber.”

Testing an air-breathing engine such as a turboprop needs an air supply at representative conditions with low temperature and pressure. “It becomes complicated if you want to recreate this at sea level, but with an electric engine you can seal it and pull the air out, because it does not consume any air and it does not produce any exhaust,” Miftakhov says.

““This year we’ll put together the Cessna certification vehicle,” he says. “For the flight test, we’ll be doing our own airframe. We do have some customers discussions now about them potentially bringing in airframes. We’ll start with one, but probably have multiple certification test assets, maybe even in different places,” he adds.

This could include somewhere in continental Europe—specifically Spain.

“The UK weather can be challenging, and we want to go through this program as quickly as possible, because I want to get the first certified product out there in commercial use as soon as possible because that unlocks everything,” Miftakhov says.

With Airbus’ decision to delay development of a hydrogen-powered airliner by 5-10 years, attention has refocused on startups such as ZeroAvia.

“Everybody’s looking at the pioneers like us to put the first product out in the market,” he says. “All the investors are interested, customers are interested, but they’re not yet putting money into it because they’re waiting for the first thing to happen. The minute the first things begin to happen there’s going to be 10 times more capital going into this.”