Airplanes

Some companies are looking into using fuel cells in pilotless aircraft for weather scouting and surveillance. Boeing, for example, is designing such a fuel-cell system for the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Other organizations are focusing on piloted aircraft, with the long-term goal of using fuel cells to power commercial jets. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Foundation for Advancing Science and Technology Education have unveiled the world's first piloted fuel-cell-powered aircraft, the Eplane. The plane is being converted from a combustion engine to electric propulsion in three stages. In its final form, it will fly solely on the power of a fuel cell and have a 500-mile range, with emergency assistance from reserve batteries.

Figure 19 Eplane Source: The Foundation for Advancing Science and Technology