Piasecki steps up development of HYDROGENPOWERED PA-890 HELICOPTER

Piasecki Aircraft Corp is stepping up its plans to bring a hydrogen-powered helicopter to market by the end of the decade. Development work that has been significantly boosted by support from the US Air Force now involves the evolution of a 660-kilowatt test rig for the propulsion system into an iron bird unit that will pave the way for a full-scale prototype the company aims to start flying in 2028.

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The PA-890 slow-rotor wing compound helicopter is expected to be able to carry a pilot and up to seven passengers on trips longer than 200 nm. Its projected payload is 1,660 pounds and the maximum take-off weight is 7,000 pounds (3175 Kg). Pennsylvania-based PiAC anticipates that the aircraft will be used for both commercial and defence applications such as emergency medical flights, cargo logistics and personnel transport and could potentially also be employed for commercial air taxi operations. The company expects the PA-890 to deliver a 50 percent reduction in operating costs compared with current turbine helicopters, as well as being much quieter and producing zero emissions.

“We have made some significant progress and what we are striving towards is to increase the energy density available for vertical flight by around five times compared with batteries,” president and CEO John Piasecki said. “We are aiming for a market that we feel is robust enough to warrant this investment to meet demand from operators needing longer range than they can get from eVTOL aircraft.”