Airbus Refines & Develops ZEROe H-Planes

  Zero Emissions, Hydrogen Powered Flying

                                                                  Source:  Airbus

Three Concept Planes

Airbus plans to develop and deploy the world's first zero emissions, commercial aircraft to carry passengers by 2035.  Its zero emissions, carbon neutral, hydrogen powered aircraft are called ZEROe.  Airbus is now finalizing decisions on which technologies to use for the next-G aircraft and which vehicle to go to market with first.  There are three concept planes under development:  a blended wing body (BWB), a turboprop and a turbofan powered aircraft.  All three planes use hydrogen as their primary power source.

Delta Wing Model

At the 2022 Singapore Air Show, Airbus is showcasing its twin engine, blended wing model with its integrated vertical tails.  The plane has a longer, wider cabin, lots of windows and access doors at the front of the fuselage. These are new refinements that Airbus has incorporated since the concept was first unveiled in 2020. The blended, delta wing concept is Airbus' most innovative and futuristic design.  But the company's Chief Technology Officer Sabine Klauki says their first ZEROe to go to market is more likely the more classical configuration.  That would be the 120-200 seat turbofan that has hydrogen burning gas turbine engines or the 100-seat turboprop with engines modified to directly burn hydrogen.  Airbus has not made a final decision on which plane will go to market first.  But it is clearly excited about getting the ZEROe blended wing body aircraft to market at some point in the future.