FutureFlight
Universal Hydrogen Resumes Flight Testing in Mojave
The company now has more than 250 orders for powertrain conversion kits in its backlog.
Universal Hydrogen’s Dash 8 testbed is pictured in flight over the Mojave Wind Farm
Universal Hydrogen’s Dash 8 testbed, nicknamed “Lightning McClean,” is pictured over the Mojave Wind Farm during its first flight from the Mojave Air & Space port on Sept. 26, 2023. (Photo: Universal Hydrogen)

Nearly three months after Universal Hydrogen relocated its Dash 8 testbed aircraft from Washington state to Southern California, the hydrogen fuel cell-powered airplane has kicked off its next flight test campaign. The converted turboprop, nicknamed “Lightning McClean,” took off from the Mojave Air & Space Port for the first time on Tuesday and completed a nearly 20-minute flight test, according to the company.

This was Lightning McClean’s 10th flight test overall and the first since it departed from Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake, Washington, in late June. The aircraft made its debut flight over Moses Lake in March, and it set a new world record as the largest hydrogen fuel cell-powered airplane to take flight. Universal Hydrogen said it relocated its flight test campaign from Moses Lake to Mojave to bring it closer to the company’s headquarters in Hawthorne, California.