Beyond Aero’s Hydrogen-Electric Aircraft Prototype Successfully Completes First Wind Tunnel Test Campaign
Per Beyond, the test provides experimental validation of the company’s forthcoming aircraft’s hydrogen-electric architecture.
(Toulouse, France) Beyond Aero, a French aerospace startup developing what the company has billed as the world’s first hydrogen-electric business jet, the BYA-1, announced yesterday (Jan. 19) that it has successfully completed its first wind tunnel test campaign, which the company explained is a significant milestone toward the end of its forthcoming aircraft’s Preliminary Design phase.
Image of Beyond Aero’s 1:8 scale aircraft model, which recently completed wind tunnel testing, courtesy of Beyond Aero.
Per Beyond Aero, the objective of its first wind tunnel campaign was “not only performance optimization, but also confirmation that the hydrogen-driven external configuration behaves in a stable, predictable, and controllable manner across the intended flight envelope.”
The wind tunnel tests were performed on a 1:8 scale model of Beyond’s forthcoming BYA-1 and generated more than 60,000 data points, according to yesterday’s press release from Beyond Aero.
Per Beyond, the results of the tests “confirmed the robustness of Beyond Aero’s aerodynamic design choices” and validated various numerical models.
Rendering of Beyond Aero’s forthcoming BYA-1 hydrogen-electric aircraft courtesy of Beyond Aero.
“This wind tunnel campaign delivered high-quality experimental data that directly supports our aerodynamic models and design decisions” said Beyond Aero’s Chief of Engineering Luiz Oliveira. “It contributes to the validation of the aircraft’s Preliminary Design Review by providing a solid experimental reference for the external aerodynamics.”
Per yesterday’s press release, Beyond Aero’s forthcoming hydrogen-electric aircraft will be powered by hydrogen propulsion and enable six passengers to fly up to 800 nautical miles (1,500 kilometers) – five times farther than traditional, forthcoming battery-powered aircraft.
Beyond Aero was founded in December 2020 and maintains a team of more than 80 engineers in its headquarters in Toulouse, Paris and in Los Angeles. The company has secured more than $50 million of funding and is backed by investors including Giant Ventures, Bpifrance, Initialized Capital, Female Founders Found, and 7 Percent Ventures; the company also completed Y Combinator in 2022.
As of the present time, Beyond Aero has secured $1 billion in Letters of Intent (LOIs), and recently completed France’s first manned, fully hydrogen-electric flight.
