Honeywell Aerospace has integrated the main subsystems of a hydrogen fuel-cell power source for aircraft at its engineering site in Brno, Czech Republic, under Project NEWBORN. The system is designed to combine hydrogen fuel cells, batteries and a megawatt-class electric motor to drive an aircraft propeller, with the next phase set for ground demonstration after transfer to Gorizia, Italy.
Project NEWBORN is a European low-emission aviation programme launched in 2023 and involving 18 European companies. Honeywell has already tested electrical functionality, leak tightness, fluid operating parameters, subsystem interaction, control algorithms and protection mechanisms as part of the development work.
The propulsion architecture pairs the fuel-cell power source with batteries supplied by Pipistrel and a megawatt-class electric propulsion system developed jointly by the University of Nottingham, Honeywell Aerospace and Pipistrel. The work remains at a development stage and is not yet a full aircraft test or certification programme.