GKN Aerospace completes H2GEAR hydrogen-electric flight program, advancing zero-carbon aviation tech

GKN Aerospace has wrapped up the H2GEAR program, a 54 million pound project co-funded by the UK Aerospace Technology Institute and partners. The program focused on cryogenic drive systems, fuel-cell propulsion integration, and high-power electrical networks for hydrogen-powered aircraft. It also led to a new joint venture called HP Drive Technologies with the University of Nottingham to industrialize these systems. The results reduce technical risk for future hydrogen flight applications and strengthen UK supply chain capability in design, testing, and manufacturing. Follow-on programs H2FlyGHT and Iceflight will continue maturing the technology. This is a concrete step toward commercially viable zero-carbon aviation, not just a research paper.