Restricted Access
or
The Helicopter Replacement

REACH
THE UNREACHABLE

Hinterland builds hydrogen fuel cell UAS platforms that replace helicopters and reach where battery drones cannot — 150 km of range, 2.5 hours of endurance, zero local emissions. From offshore wind farms 40 km from shore to remote infrastructure and search areas beyond helicopter economics.

Explore Applications Technical Platform →
150 km
Operational Range
2.5 h
Mission Endurance
5 kg
Payload
The Technology

WHY
HYDROGEN

Missions that require a helicopter today can be flown by a hydrogen drone tomorrow — for a fraction of the cost, with zero emissions, and at ranges no other drone can match. This is what changes when hydrogen replaces batteries and combustion.

01 / Advantage
Replaces Helicopter Missions

A fraction of the cost per flight hour, no pilot in the aircraft, no scheduling around crews. Routine helicopter tasks — inspection, patrol, aerial survey — become an on-demand drone job.

02 / Advantage
Zero Local Emissions

Pure water vapour — nothing else. Deployable in nature reserves, near populated areas, over wildfire zones and inside emission-restricted airspace where combustion drones cannot legally operate.

03 / Advantage
Reach the Unreachable

150 km of range unlocks missions battery drones simply cannot fly — offshore wind farms 40 km from shore, remote pipeline sections, mountain search areas hours from the nearest road.

04 / Advantage
5 Minutes to Airborne

Foldable arms, quick-connect hydrogen, automatic system check. Field-ready in under 5 minutes — single operator, no specialist ground crew.

The Platform

TECHNICAL
FOUNDATION

A modular, hydrogen-powered octocopter purpose-built for civil, government and industrial operations. Customizable tank sizes and payload configurations for mission-specific requirements.

2.5 h
Mission Endurance
5 kg
Payload Capacity
150 km
Operational Range
<5 min
Deployment Time
Propulsion Hydrogen Fuel Cell + Battery
Acoustic Signature Near-zero
Thermal Signature Minimal
Origin Hamburg, Germany
Hinterland UAS Platform — arms open
Hinterland UAS Platform — arms folded
Schedule a Demo
Competitive Position

THERE IS NO
COMPARABLE
PLATFORM.

Battery
Multicopter		 Combustion
Multicopter		 Manned
Helicopter		 Hydrogen
Multicopter
Flight Endurance 30 min 45–90 min 2–3 h 2.5 h (up to 7 h LH₂)
Cost per Flight Hour < €100 ~€200 €1,500–3,500 < €100
Pilot on Board None None YES None
Local Emissions Low HIGH HIGH Zero (H₂O vapour)
Acoustic Signature Low HIGH HIGH Low
Deployment Time < 5 min ~10 min 30–60 min < 5 min
Unlocks New Use Cases ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓

Our 7 years of hydrogen drone research is what separates us from the field. Hydrogen is hard — we solved it.

Field Logistics

A COMPLETE H₂ ECOSYSTEM:
THREE GROUND PRODUCTS,
INDEPENDENT SUPPLY CHAIN.

Refuel · In the Field

Hydrogen Compressor

One-button H₂ refueling station with a fast tank swap in minutes — no specialist crew required.

Key Specs
  • Sub-5-min tank swap
  • Field-portable unit
  • Single operator
Fuel Gaseous Hydrogen UAVs
5× More Range
Produce · On Site

Field Electrolyser

Generates H₂ on site from just water and power — zero supply-chain dependency, even forward-deployed.

Key Specs
  • Water + power in
  • Off-grid capable
  • No H₂ logistics
Produce H₂ in the Field
Independent
Extend · Endurance

Mobile LH₂ Liquifier

Liquefies hydrogen for the extended-endurance config, unlocking the 7-hour LH₂ mission profile.

Key Specs
  • Liquid H₂ output
  • 7 h multicopter / 5 days fixed-wing
  • Mobile field unit
Fuel Liquid Hydrogen UAVs
20× More Range
Mission Profiles

MISSION
APPLICATIONS

Every mission the Hinterland platform is built for follows one principle: your personnel never have to enter dangerous or unreachable terrain. Persistent endurance, silent operation, and 150 km of range send the platform where sending people would be slow, costly, or unsafe.

01 / Application
Reach the Unreachable

Infrastructure
Monitoring

150 km of range unlocks assets no other drone can inspect from shore — offshore wind farms 40+ km from land, remote pipeline sections, transmission corridors and industrial infrastructure spread across hundreds of kilometres.

  • Offshore wind — no support vessel required
  • Pipeline and transmission line surveys
  • Wind, solar and industrial asset inspection
Discover
02 / Application
Silent Vigilance

Border &
Coast Guard

Silent, long-endurance surveillance across coastlines, maritime borders and remote frontier zones. 2.5 hours on station and near-zero acoustic footprint enable detection without alerting subjects.

  • Maritime surveillance beyond radar
  • Coastal and border patrol
  • Vessel and incursion detection
Discover
03 / Application
First on Scene

Search
and Rescue

Rapid deployment for missing persons, disaster zones and remote incidents. 150 km range and extended flight time cover search areas that would take ground teams hours or days — with real-time thermal and optical feeds to locate people fast.

  • Wilderness and mountain search
  • Disaster response and damage assessment
  • Thermal imaging in low visibility
Discover
What We Offer

DEPLOY WITH
HINTERLAND

01
Fly Our Platform

GH₂ Multicopter

Direct procurement of the Hinterland GH₂ Multicopter for civil, government and industrial customers. Purpose-built for extended endurance operations — configurable payload and tank size for mission-specific requirements.

  • Direct to civil, government & industrial
  • Modular payload configuration
  • Field-proven hydrogen propulsion
02
Retrofit Kit

H₂ Propulsion Module

Drop-in hydrogen propulsion module for existing UAV platforms. Extend the endurance of your current fleet without full platform replacement — validated across multiple airframe types.
 

  • Compatible with existing airframes
  • Shorter procurement cycle
  • Multiplies fleet endurance
03
Infrastructure

H₂ Ground Ecosystem

Complete on-site hydrogen infrastructure: compressor refueling station, mobile electrolyser, and mobile LH₂ liquifier. Full operational independence — produce your own fuel wherever you deploy, no logistics chain required.

  • On-site H₂ production from water
  • Sub-5-minute tank swap
  • Mobile and off-grid capable
Origin

BORN FROM
AEROSPACE

Hinterland is a spin-off from ZAL — Center for Applied Aeronautical Research — one of Europe's leading applied aerospace research centers, based in Hamburg.

ZAL brings 15 years of hydrogen research and 7 years of dedicated hydrogen drone development. That knowledge base is what Hinterland is built on — and ZAL remains our R&D backbone as we move from lab to field.

We work directly with civil, government and industrial partners to develop platform configurations for specific operational requirements — from standard procurement to joint development programs.

Hamburg, Germany — ZAL Spin-off
ZAL
R&D Backbone
15+
Years H₂ Research
7
Years H₂ Drones
Hamburg
Germany
Civil & Government Partnerships

GET IN
TOUCH WITH US

We are actively engaging with civil, government and industrial partners. Whether you are evaluating platform capabilities, exploring a joint development program, or have a specific operational requirement — we want to hear from you.

Location
Hamburg, Germany
Heritage
ZAL Spin-off — 15 yrs H₂ research
Legal

LEGAL
NOTICE

Pursuant to § 5 TMG (German Telemedia Act)

Hinterland GmbH
Hein-Sass-Weg 22
21129 Hamburg

Legal Representatives

Roland Gerhards
CEO & Co-Founder

Fynn Schröder
CTO & Co-Founder

Contact

T  +49 40 248 595 101
F  +49 40 248 595 111
E  info@hinterland.aero