Helis, April 09, 2025 - Unither Bioélectronique, Inc (UB) has successfully completed the world’s first piloted hydrogen-powered helicopter flight using a modified Robinson R44 helicopter converted to run on a hydrogen fuel cell-electric powertrain as part of its ambitious Project Proticity.
Project Proticity was launched in August 2024 by Unither Bioelectronics and Robinson Helicopter Company with a modified R44 to develop hydrogen-electric variants of the Robinson’s R44 and R66 models for zero-emission vertical-lift missions.
This historic achievement which took place at Roland-Désourdy Airport in Bromont, Québec, on March 27, 2025, represents a critical step toward developing conforming designs and certification protocols for hydrogen-powered aircraft, with the goal of creating a rapid delivery method for vital transplant organs to those in need.
The test aircraft featured a hydrogen tank mounted under the tail-boom and cooling nacelles flanking either side of the cabin. The original piston engine was removed and was installed a hydrogen fuel cell system coupled with a Magnix electric motor, supported by a small battery pack to handle power surges during high-demand maneuvers.
Mikael Cardinal, UB’s vice-president of program management & business development for organ delivery systems, said “Our first test flight successfully demonstrated the hover and manoeuvre capabilities of our innovative hydrogen powertrain. Our next phase of development will focus on integrating a liquid hydrogen storage system which we believe is an essential technology for enabling our extended-range missions to deliver manufactured organ alternatives to patients in need.”
David Smith, CEO of Robinson Helicopter, emphasized the broader significance of the accomplishment: “The importance of this milestone in aviation history cannot be overstated. Project Proticity has taken an incredible first step forward in the path to long-range, zero-emission vertical flight.”
About Unither Bioelectronics : Unither Bioelectronics Inc. is a subsidiary of United Therapeutics Corporation focused on developing autonomous organ delivery systems, particularly drones and electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The company's mission is to improve organ transplant efficiency and accessibility, especially in urban areas, by utilizing these technologies.
Project Proticity was launched in August 2024 by Unither Bioelectronics and Robinson Helicopter Company with a modified R44 to develop hydrogen-electric variants of the Robinson’s R44 and R66 models for zero-emission vertical-lift missions.
This historic achievement which took place at Roland-Désourdy Airport in Bromont, Québec, on March 27, 2025, represents a critical step toward developing conforming designs and certification protocols for hydrogen-powered aircraft, with the goal of creating a rapid delivery method for vital transplant organs to those in need.
The test aircraft featured a hydrogen tank mounted under the tail-boom and cooling nacelles flanking either side of the cabin. The original piston engine was removed and was installed a hydrogen fuel cell system coupled with a Magnix electric motor, supported by a small battery pack to handle power surges during high-demand maneuvers.
Mikael Cardinal, UB’s vice-president of program management & business development for organ delivery systems, said “Our first test flight successfully demonstrated the hover and manoeuvre capabilities of our innovative hydrogen powertrain. Our next phase of development will focus on integrating a liquid hydrogen storage system which we believe is an essential technology for enabling our extended-range missions to deliver manufactured organ alternatives to patients in need.”
David Smith, CEO of Robinson Helicopter, emphasized the broader significance of the accomplishment: “The importance of this milestone in aviation history cannot be overstated. Project Proticity has taken an incredible first step forward in the path to long-range, zero-emission vertical flight.”
About Unither Bioelectronics : Unither Bioelectronics Inc. is a subsidiary of United Therapeutics Corporation focused on developing autonomous organ delivery systems, particularly drones and electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The company's mission is to improve organ transplant efficiency and accessibility, especially in urban areas, by utilizing these technologies.
R44 II C-FXUB ( )
Bromont Comments | Join community |
| I think that's short for "fuel cell". Any dissenter(s)? |
| many congrats to the UB team with the demo, it is awesome to finally see a fuel cell powered R44 in flight - would love to see this in person! LH2 is for sure the way to go to maximise performance, what kind of range/flight time are you getting? Curious also how performance on a typical mission is affected as P/pmax v efficiency is quite different going from a piston engine to fuel cell. |
See also |
Helicopters Ecology
Robinson R44
