Developers: | Sirius Aviation |
Date of the premiere of the system: | January 2024 |
Branches: | Transport |
2024: Product Announcement
In early January 2024, the Swiss startup Sirius Aviation AG introduced the Sirius Jet aircraft - the world's first small liquid hydrogen plane. The aircraft is capable of speeds up to 520 km/h, and the flight range reaches 1850 km.
The Sirius Jet resembles the German Lilium Jet air taxi in a slightly smaller version. The device is built according to the eVTOL scheme - vertical take-off and landing plus an electric power plant. At the same time, an aerodynamic scheme "duck" is used, providing for the presence of an additional horizontal fin in front of the main wing. The tail is V-shaped. On the wings, including in the bow, there are a total of 20 channel fans with a diameter of 30 cm.
The main feature of Sirius Jet is a liquid hydrogen power plant, which carries a large supply of energy. This makes it possible to fly significant distances without refueling. But the difficulty lies in the fact that in this form the fuel should be stored at a temperature not higher than minus 253 degrees Celsius. From the onboard tank, hydrogen enters the fuel cell, where electricity is generated. It is used to further power two dozen fans.
The indicated flight range of 1850 km is relevant for the business version of the Sirius Jet, which is capable of taking on board only three passengers. There is also a Millennium variant with five passenger seats. It has a smaller capacity of fuel tanks, which is why the maximum range lies at about 1050 km. Thus, Sirius Jet air taxis can be operated on routes such as Los Angeles - San Francisco, London - Berlin, Melbourne - Sydney or Beijing - Seoul.[1]