AECC tests megawatt hydrogen turboprop engine

Aircraft Engine Corporation of China (AECC

) successfully completed the flight of a megawatt hydrogen turboprop engine. The aircraft, a 7.5-tonne unmanned cargo aircraft, was powered by the new AEP100 hydrogen-fueled turboprop and took off from an Airport in Zhuzhou, in central China’s Hunan province. Hunan is the home of AECC’s Aviation Powerplant Research Institute.

The aircraft flew 36km in its maiden flight, reaching a speed of 220kph and an altitude of 300 meters, returning safely in what was described as a routine flight. Video of the flight can be found here.