Diamond Aircraft Leads New Hydrogen-Electric Propulsion Research
Austrian aircraft manufacturer Diamond Aircraft has taken the lead in a new research initiative to explore the use of hydrogen-electric hybrid propulsion systems for light aircraft.
Backed by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), the project is aimed at developing and testing the viability of gaseous hydrogen as a sustainable fuel source for general aviation.
The project, named Hydrogen-based Twin-engine Electrification and Digitalization Testbed (H2EDT), brings together several academic and research institutions. These include FH Joanneum’s Institute of Aviation and Electronic Engineering, the Technical University of Graz, HyCentA, and IESTA.
The consortium is working on creating an experimental testbed to evaluate the technological and operational challenges of hydrogen-powered propulsion, with all testing based at Diamond’s headquarters in Wiener Neustadt through 2025.
Testbed Design Shifts Toward Advanced Air Mobility
Initially conceived around a twin-engined general aviation platform, the H2EDT testbed has since shifted its design focus toward a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft with up to ten electric motors—aligning more closely with emerging advanced air mobility (AAM) concepts.
According to Diamond, the testbed incorporates a parallel hybrid propulsion system, allowing the aircraft’s motors to be powered either by hydrogen fuel cells or batteries.
The system features a digital power management component, centered around a power distribution board developed by FH Joanneum. Integrated digital sensors will allow the hybrid system to automatically optimize power delivery based on real-time requirements.
Furthermore, engineers will use a digital twin model for testing, which will integrate detailed CAD geometry with performance simulation data. This will help the team assess the system’s behavior under various environmental and operational conditions, such as high altitudes or elevated temperatures. The H2EDT team aims to present its findings in 2026.
In the same announcement, Diamond Aircraft revealed it is also exploring a follow-up project to assess the feasibility of adapting its existing DA40 and DA42 platforms for hydrogen propulsion.
Volocopter Integrated into Diamond Group
In a parallel development, German eVTOL aircraft developer Volocopter has officially merged into the Diamond Aircraft Industries group. The company, which had been facing financial difficulties, was acquired by Diamond from an insolvency administrator on March 17.
Following the acquisition, Volocopter has been restructured and is now operating under the name Volocopter Technologies as of April 1. As part of the restructuring, only 160 of the company’s original 500 employees have been retained.
The insolvency process has caused delays in Volocopter’s certification timeline. The company has pushed back its target for achieving EASA type certification for its VoloCity model, a two-seat electric VTOL aircraft.