Unither completes maiden hydrogen helicopter flight
The first hydrogen helicopter has flown in Canada.
Unither Bioélectronique has flown the world’s first flight demonstration of a piloted hydrogen-powered helicopter in partnership with Robinson Helicopter Company.
The United Therapeutics subsidiary flew the helicopter at Roland-Désourdy Airport in Bromont, Québec for about three minutes to validate the capabilities of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) hydrogen fuel cell system to support VTOL flight demands. The flight took place on March 27th, 2025.
The milestone also marks the first piloted hydrogen-powered flight in Canada.
“Our first test flight successfully demonstrated the hover and manoeuvre capabilities of our innovative hydrogen powertrain,” said Mikaël Cardinal, vice president, Program Management & Business Development, Organ Delivery Systems for Unither Bioélectronique. “Our next phase of development will focus on integrating a liquid hydrogen storage system, which we believe is an essential technology for enabling our extended-range missions to deliver manufactured organ alternatives to patients in need.”
The flight forms part of Project Proticity, a joint initiative between Unither Bioélectronique and Robinson Helicopter Company focused on developing hybrid hydrogen-electric propulsion systems.
The demonstration was performed by test pilot Ric Webb under an experimental flight permit from Transport Canada Civil Aviation. Webb flew in an experimental Robinson R44 Raven II equipped with a dual PEM fuel cell/battery hybrid powertrain, with about 90% of the flight’s energy coming from hydrogen fuel cells.
JR Hammond, executive director of Canadian Advanced Air Mobility said: “This historic achievement proves that clean aviation isn’t a distant dream — it’s a present-day reality taking flight right here in Canada. Unither’s success is a shining example of the innovation happening across our ecosystem and demonstrates how Canadian leadership is shaping the global future of zero-emission air mobility.”
Meanwhile, last month Robinson launched its new R88 helicopter, powered by a single Safran Arriel 2W, 1,000-shaft horse-power engine, at the Verticon event in Dallas, Texas. last month.
