Beyond Aero has completed the first wind tunnel testing campaign for its hydrogen-electric Beyond Aero One business aircraft. The testing took place over five weeks at the German-Dutch Wind Tunnels’ (DNW) Low-Speed Facility in Marknesse.

The tests focused on validating aerodynamic performance, stability and control for a configuration that places gaseous hydrogen tanks outside the fuselage. This layout creates complex airflow patterns at the wing-fuselage junction and wingtip, where even minor changes can affect lift, drag and controllability.

While numerical simulations had suggested stable performance, real-world testing was required to fully understand these interactions. A 1:8 scale model was used to generate over 60,000 data points, covering a range of flap positions, control surface movements and off-nominal conditions such as sideslip, high angle of attack and deep stall.

Data was gathered through a six-component balance and more than 230 pressure taps, allowing correlation with simulations and providing a detailed reference for external aerodynamics. AI-supported tools helped engineers identify trends and refine the design more quickly.

The campaign confirmed that the aircraft’s hydrogen-driven configuration performs predictably across the flight envelope, reducing aerodynamic risk before moving into the next phase of development.