Aurora Flight Sciences’ Drone Flies Seven Hours on Hydrogen


In a bid to continuously increase flight times, Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing company, flew its Skiron-XLE hydrogen fuel-cell-powered small UAS (uncrewed aircraft system) for seven hours straight on Aug. 14, 2024. The test flight at an airfield in Virginia used the Skiron-XLE hybrid eVTOL platform that combines vertical takeoff and landing with fixed-wing forward flight. The Skiron-XLE complies with U.S. FAA Part 107 regulations for sUAS operations and is beyond-visual-line-of- sight (BVLOS) ready.


To stay aloft for seven hours, the Skiron-XLE system carried two five-liter hydrogen tanks, an Intelligent Energy fuel cell, a Trillium HD45 EO/IR camera payload, and a lithium polymer (LiPo) auxiliary battery. Its takeoff weight was 54 pounds. At the end of the flight test, the Skiron-XLE sUAS landed with empty hydrogen fuel tanks but with an ample safety margin remaining on the battery.


“Skiron-XLE opens the door to long-endurance flight with a clean, quiet, and user-friendly uncrewed aircraft system,” said Jason Grzywna, senior director of products with Aurora Flight Sciences. “Skiron-XLE offers the ability to replace gas-powered sUAS while still delivering the long flight times that customers want. In early 2025, Aurora expects to deliver the first customer units of Skiron-XLE, while continuing to further extend flight times for both fuel-cell and battery-only configurations.”


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