Ukraine has, for the first time, sent into combat a hybrid drone powered by hydrogen fuel. According to the builder Skyeton, a variant of its Raybird was deployed for full-scale combat duty with the Ukrainian Armed Forces in an active war zone.
Archived version: archive.is/…/world-first-ukraine-hydrogen-drone/
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Dupelet@piefed.social 4 days ago
Ok, so? What’s the benefit as compared to a gasoline hybrid? If a PR piece can’t mention that, I’m inclined to think there isn’t any. In addition to the downside of needing an entire new more complicated supply chain for the fuel.
OpenPassageways@lemmy.zip 3 days ago
Maybe quieter, exhaust wouldn’t show up on certain imaging?
Dupelet@piefed.social 3 days ago
ICE engines are not particularly noisy, it’s rotors that make the most noise. IDK about the exhaust, but I can only think of thermal sensors and shouldn’t hydrogen be exothermic too?
real_squids@sopuli.xyz 3 days ago
The exhaust? Anyway if the drone’s fucked you can convert the tanks into a bomb later lol
Dupelet@piefed.social 3 days ago
You can do it with gasoline too, while using some of it to hightail out of there :)
WDYM about the exhaust, though? I’d imagine the heat trail from combusting either fuel would be about the same.
Kolanaki@pawb.social 3 days ago
Hydrogen is lighter?
jol@discuss.tchncs.de 3 days ago
Not necessarily because diesel can be at atmospheric pressure while hydrogen needs heavier containers to keep it pressurised and liquid.