Unither & Robinson to jointly develop hydrogen helicopter
According to the initiators, the hydrogen helicopters will be used to transport organs for transplants – Unither Bioelectronics is a subsidiary of United Therapeutics, a biotechnology company specialising in organ transplants. The strategic collaboration is intended to accelerate the development of emission-free helicopters and increase the likelihood of regulatory approval, according to a statement from Robinson.
As part of the agreement, the helicopter manufacturer will not only contribute its expertise in the fields of engineering and technology but also in the area of regulations. Certification is known to be the decisive factor for commercial use in aviation. For Lung Biotechnology, another subsidiary of United Therapeutics, R44s have already been converted to battery-electric propulsion. The hydrogen fuel cells are intended to increase the range.
United Therapeutics operates an entire subsidiary, Unither Bioelectronics, to develop autonomous, environmentally friendly and airborne means of transporting organs. There are often thousands of kilometres between the hospital where a donor organ is removed and the hospital where the suitable recipient is located and the organ is to be reused. As the transport is extremely time-critical, it is usually carried out by private jets. UB’s aircraft – whether H2 helicopters or autonomous, battery-powered eVTOLs – are then used to transport the organs from the airport to the hospital as quickly as possible. The aircraft will be able to use the existing helicopter landing pads.
“This collaboration accelerates the development of sustainable transportation solutions for life-saving organs,” said Mikael Cardinal, Vice President of Program Management and Organ Delivery Systems and head of the United Therapeutics Organ Delivery Systems (UTODS) development programme. “Hydrogen-powered aircraft are the next frontier in sustainable aviation. We are committed to developing a zero-operational carbon emission fleet of aircraft, and we look forward to working with the expert team at Robinson Helicopter to enable regulatory approval and production of these aircraft.”
“Robinson is committed to leading the vertical lift industry into the next generation of flight,” said David Smith, President and CEO of Robinson Helicopter Company. “By deepening our existing relationship with Unither Bioelectronics, we can accelerate the arrival of zero-emission helicopters.”
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