Beyond Aero has unveiled adjustments to the design for its planned hydrogen-powered business jet. In a program update released on March 17, the French start-up shared details about the powertrain’s architecture featuring fuel cells and a pair of ducted fan electric motors, with 700-bar fuel tanks now positioned in the wingbox and wingtips.

The Beyond Aero engineering team has increased the capacity for the fuel cell stack to 2.4 megawatts. It said the new position for the gaseous hydrogen fuel tanks would improve the crashworthiness of the six- to eight-seat BYA-1 aircraft, which is expected to enter service in 2030 with a range up to 800 nm. Another objective for the redesign has been to eliminate high-pressure fuel lines inside the pressurized cabin.

The Fadec-controlled electric motors are mounted in the rear of the fuselage, which also features a T-shaped tail section. The new wingtip tanks give the BYA-1 a resemblance to the classic early Learjet design, and Beyond Aero told AIN that refueling time will be comparable to that of current business aircraft.

Fewer Parts, Lower Costs

The Toulouse-based company is developing the battery-free hydrogen-electric propulsion system with some parts to be supplied by as-yet-undisclosed partners. It said the powertrain will have 90% fewer moving parts than current turbofans, with reduced maintenance costs contributing to a reduction in operating costs of up to 55%.

Beyond Aero said it is in discussions with EASA to agree on a certification basis for the aircraft and its propulsion system. It maintains that, with an expected maximum takeoff weight below 8.6 tonnes (about 19,000 pounds), the BYA-1 can be certified under CS-23 rules, as opposed to the more complex CS-25 rules for larger commercial aircraft. In the coming months, the company is expected to announce other key system suppliers, including a partner to provide the aircraft’s avionics suite.

In January, it announced the close of a $20 million Series A funding round and said that it has signed letters of intent for 108 aircraft with a combined value of $914 million from a mix of charter operators, corporate flight departments, and private individuals. This implies a unit price of between $9 million and $10 million.