Episode #142 - Hydrogen Powered Helicopters: Dr. Anita Sengupta - The Helicopter Podcast

Send us a text Welcome to The Helicopter Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS! In this episode of The Helicopter Podcast, host Halsey Schider welcomes Dr. Anita Sengupta, an aerospace engineer and founder of Hydroplane, who is revolutionizing aviation with hydrogen fuel cell propulsion. With a PhD in electric propulsion and 16 years at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Dr. Sengupta shares her journey from developing ion thrusters for spacecraft to landing the Mars Curiosity Rover with a supersonic parachute. Now, she’s applying her expertise to decarbonize aviation, focusing on hydrogen fuel cells that offer cleaner, quieter, and more efficient power for airplanes and helicopters. She discusses Hydroplane’s recent success in a U.S. Army competition, where her team powered a full-scale gyrocopter rotor with a hydrogen fuel cell system, achieving flight speeds with enhanced range and reduced noise. Dr. Sengupta’s passion for aviation, inspired by sci-fi and her father’s engineering influence, shines through as she envisions an efficient and sustainable future for flight. To learn more about Dr. Sengupta’s innovative work, visit: https://www.hydroplane.us/ Thank you to our sponsors Robinson Helicopter, Precision Aviation Group and Astronautics Corporation of America. Listen closely for your chance to win awesome prizes from Heli Life! Throughout 2025, every episode of The Helicopter Podcast will reveal a secret word. Once you catch it, head to contests.verticalhelicasts.com to enter!