World record flight by Chinese hydrogen powered drone
The state of things to come or more akin to military use?
I followed a UK company called Intelligent Energy after watching James May from Top Gear in 2009 who showcased the Intelligent Energy hydrogen fuel cell motorbike (ENV) which was to come on the market in the next few years. The technology was developed with Loughborough University and was later touted for use with the Suzuki Bergman and Suzuki Crosscage which were not available for the consumer market. My guess is that Intelligent Energy received ‘an offer they couldn’t refuse’. The Chinese were developing fuel cell drones around this time and the British Military showed a keen interest in Intelligent Energy. My gut feeling is that this technology will be a long way from the consumer market and likely as you say reserved for military use.
Intelligent Energy: IE-SOAR UAV hydrogen fuel cells
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It would be way out of our pockets in price if it were.
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Very interesting thanks for sharing
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Hydrogen powered drones? Good or bad idea? I can think of one or two things I can do with hydrogen but then I’d be arrested lol
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#WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong
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Merged your post into a your other post that’s very similar. 
Skimmed the title of this post a little too quickly and for a moment thought someone had invented a Guinness-powered drone… 
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That would be expensive to run!
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You’d also need to start it up on the ground, then shut it off for a minute or so before eventually taking off.
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Hydrogen is highly flammable (e.g.Hindenburg), and Helium would be better from that pov, but would not equal the hydrogen endurance figure. How would this translate to hobby drone, especially a sub-250g bird? Could we be looking at larger drones (good idea, easier to see) or more powerful drones the same size (good idea, better wind resistance) or longer duration flights (good idea; drone stays up longer = drone safer), or a combination of those features.
I have to say that I’m happy with my Mini 4K’s 31 minute battery; I can do most of what I want and come home after 20 minutes. But a bigger drone would encourage me to fly further, which would feel safer with more endurance, and better wind resistance would be very welcome!
WTF ???
Helium is inert! Your endurance would be ZERO!
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Getting some new eyes too John ?
Perhaps hydrogen would be better then. Though given my general level of inactivity, I’m in no place to criticise helium for being inert…
Wouldn’t mind new peepers; sooner or later my cataracts will be removed, which should improve things a bit! Not too bad (yet!) with glasses, but a bigger drone would be easier to spot! I practice with pigeons, about the same size as a DJI Mini, and I’ve skinned the drone in day-glo orange, but that makes little difference beyond about 150’, after which you are relying on the drone’s tiny silhouette or the strobon!
I’m finding it increasingly difficult to cope with glare, though, bit of an issue in otherwise perfect conditions yesterday avo!