Airbus and engine maker CFM to test hydrogen plane propulsion

Airbus said Wednesday it would build a demonstrator to test propulsion technology for future hydrogen airplanes in co-operation with French-US engine maker CFM International. The planemaker plans to fit a specially adapted version of a current-generation engine near the back of an A380 superjumbo test plane. Airbus delivered its last A380 in December. CFM, jointly owned by General Electric and Safran, is the world's largest jet engine maker by number of units sold. Airbus has said it will produce a small "ZEROe" passenger aircraft powered by hydrogen to enter service in 2035. It told the European Union a year ago that most airliners will rely on traditional jet engines until at least 2050, according to a briefing made public last June. Even so, Airbus officials say the research will seed disruptive technology likely to play a role in the next generation of larger airplanes, as well as offering radically new technology for small planes holding some 50-100 people.<br/>