Project Phoenix
Student researchers are making aviation greener by trading in jet fuel for hydrogen-powered cells.
Their project, ‘Project Phoenix’ is a liquid hydrogen motor glider with a cruising speed of 200km/h and a range of about 2000km on one tank of hydrogen. In April, the current model, a 1:3 scale model of the Phoenix, which has a 5.7 metre long wingspan, was unveiled. Megill and his team are hoping to launch the maiden flight of the Phoenix in 2021 from the Rotterdam Airport in Amsterdam. The full-scale aircraft, according to the AeroDelft website, features perforations of the wingspan to reduce drag, sensors and vents for the detection of potential hydrogen leakages, as well as an electric battery in the event that the hydrogen fuel cell fails. Megill and his team they simply want to make the world aware, and convince the aviation industry, that the idea of using hydrogen as a fuel for air travel is not impossible. With the help of major investors the hydrogen-powered aircrafts may become a reality.