Robinson Helicopter last week signed an agreement to collaborate on developing hydrogen-powered helicopters.
The agreement with Canadian company Unither Bioelectrics (UB) is to develop zero-emissions helicopters based on the R44 and R66 platforms.
Under the terms of the agreement, Robinson will provide engineering, technical, and regulatory expertise to help streamline the development and certification of hydrogen-electric helicopters, with the goal of obtaining Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification.
"Robinson is committed to leading the vertical lift industry into the next generation of flight,” said David Smith, President and CEO of Robinson Helicopter Company.
“By deepening our existing relationship with Unither Bioelectronics, we can accelerate the arrival of zero-emission helicopters.”
Once certified, UB plans to use the helicopters for urgent organ-delivery services.
"This collaboration accelerates the development of sustainable transportation solutions for life-saving organs,” said Mikael Cardinal, Vice President of Program Management and Organ Delivery Systems.
“Hydrogen-powered aircraft are the next frontier in sustainable aviation. We are committed to developing a zero-operational carbon emission fleet of aircraft, and we look forward to working with the expert team at Robinson Helicopter to enable regulatory approval and production of these aircraft.”
UB's plan to develop and operate a fleet of electric- and hydrogen-powered aircraft both crewed and uncrewed with the capacity to take off and land vertically at hospitals, capable of quickly delivering manufactured organs for human transplant.