The world's largest commercial UAV is being tested. They want to “transplant” him to a hydrogen engine

It became known about the unification of efforts on the part of two well-known companies Natilus and Zeroavia against the backdrop of upcoming global changes in the field of freight transportation. The first is the manufacturer of the giant "wing aircraft" Natilus Kona, which is characterized by impressive dimensions, maximum payload and optimal technical characteristics.


At the moment, after almost three years of bench testing, this giant aircraft is being tested in real conditions, albeit on a scale of 1 to 4. At the same time, a full-size version is being built, which is expected to make its first flight as early as 2024.


The parameters of the “full-fledged” Natilus Kona will be as follows:

✅ wingspan - 26 meters
✅ load capacity - 3,8 tons
✅ flight range - 1667 km

At the same time, for the successful takeoff of this remotely controlled drone, an 800-meter runway is enough. The model will be equipped with a conventional internal combustion engine.

However, looking ahead, its creators came to the conclusion that their aircraft should have a zero-emissions variant. To do this, they attracted Zeroavia as a partner, which will have to present a variant of a 600 kW hydrogen-electric power plant for this commercial UAV.


Fortunately, the unique design of the drone with a mixed wing has increased space in the fuselage. This will allow you to safely place a bulky hydrogen-electric power plant, for which it is not always easy to find a place.

Now the ZA-600 unit is already undergoing certification activities, which should be completed by 2025. Earlier this year, it successfully passed the test as part of the first flight of the world's largest hydrogen-powered aircraft with a passenger capacity of 19 seats.

As for the change in characteristics when switching to a “clean” engine, there is an assumption that, under the condition of a full load, the flight range can be almost halved. And here you have to choose between economic benefits and care for the environment. Perhaps there is another solution to this problem.

However, in general, this project opens up great prospects in terms of the development of commodity logistics. The original shape of the body of the aircraft provided not only a large internal capacity, but also increased lift. This makes it possible to carry 60% more different cargoes compared to conventional aircraft of similar sizes, and thus significantly reduce the cost of cargo transportation over relatively short distances.


It is noteworthy that this may not be the only joint project. It is known that Natilus has more ambitious plans. Among the new developments are the Alisio and Nordes models, which will be able to overcome intercontinental distances, carrying 60 and 100 tons of cargo on board, respectively.

Zeroavia is also preparing an ambitious project in the form of a 2,5 MW hydrogen power plant. Work on evaluates the potential of using systems with cryogenic liquid hydrogen. In the future, such a solution can increase the flight range and at the same time reduce the area occupied by the installation of fuel equipment.