Hy-Bird main challenge is to design an electric aircraft that uses only renewable energies to fly and hence to travel with no greenhouse gas emission nor noise.

To reach this goal, Hy-Bird team faces another constraint: the technologies used must already exist and be well-tried in other industries. Therefore, Hy-Bird team is gathering many players strengths around the project: companies, laboratories, universities, but also individuals, each of them specialized in a particular field.

Hy-Bird success will be the result of this synergy. In this spirit, Hy-Bird team works together with contractors but also partners wishing to share this experience out of the common.

Hy-Bird is a hybrid aircraft working with two renewable energies:

- Solar energy, through photovoltaic cells affixed on the wing and on the horizontal tail. Batteries stock this energy to deliver it at the right time. (take-off and power peak)

-    Hydrogen, held in tanks, supplies a fuel cell. This fuel cell, by means of an electrochemical reaction controlled by hydrogen and oxygen, produces electricity.

Hy-Bird airframe

The airframe chosen is the AKOYA’s. AKOYA, which has flown for the first time in August 2007, has a very good aerodynamic efficiency and a good glide ratio. Its fuel consumption is very low; it is thus a great basis to make an electric aircraft.

Solar cells

As told above, we decided to use only well-tried technologies. Trina Solar, one of the leaders in solar cells and modules manufacturing, chose to involve itself in Hy-Bird project by becoming a partner.

Their cells are monocristalline and have 17% efficiency, enough to full up the batteries.

Batteries chosen are lithium-polymer: today’s most efficient technology on the market.

Fuel cell and hydrogen system

Helion, a French company specialised in fuel cell and electrolyser manufacturing, has joined Hy-Bird team. Their fuel cell supplies 15kW equal to the power needed during cruise flight.

Hydrogen tanks are made with composite materials, which lighten considerably the overall aircraft weight.

Hydrogen used will be produced by water electrolysis. The electricity needed for this operation will either come from solar or wind energies. This process allows Hy-Bird to fly without any fossil fuel.