FutureFlight
FAA Issues Experimental Airworthiness Certificate for Universal Hydrogen’s Dash 8 Testbed
The FAA has granted Universal Hydrogen an experimental airworthiness certificate, giving the California-based company the green light to proceed with the first test flight of its hydrogen-powered De Havilland Dash 8-300 testbed. 
Universal Hydrogen's Dash 8 is pictured during a taxi test at Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake, Washington.
Universal Hydrogen's Dash 8 is pictured during a taxi test at Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake, Washington. (Photo: Universal Hydrogen)

The FAA has granted Universal Hydrogen an experimental airworthiness certificate, giving the start-up the green light to proceed with the first test flight of its hydrogen-powered De Havilland Dash 8-300 testbed. Announcing the approval on February 7, the California-based company also said it has already conducted taxi tests with the technology demonstrator aircraft.

Universal Hydrogen is getting ready to fly the converted regional airliner for the first time from Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake, Washington. The flight test was originally scheduled to take place by the end of 2022, but it was delayed after “the integration of the hydrogen fuel cell powertrain into the flight test aircraft took somewhat longer than anticipated,” a company spokeswoman told FutureFlight