Platform System Design

Platform System Design

15 December 2025

Opening of the Energy to Propulsion Test Facility aftermovie

On 28 November 2025, NLR officially opened the Energy to Propulsion Test Facility (EPTF) at NLR in Marknesse. The EPTF facilitates research to accelerate sustainable propulsion systems of aircraft. The new test facility is an important step in the innovation process. It bridges the gap between scientific research and practical implementation by companies. This unique facility offers researchers from NLR and other knowledge institutions, as well as startups, SMEs, and industrial parties, the opportunity to conduct tests on hydrogen-electric propulsion systems.

ATTILA tiltrotor whirl flutter shakedown test in DNW LLF.
Platform System Design

24 June 2025

NLR introduces the Trim Excitation Device for precise wind tunnel testing

Recently, NLR has taken a significant step in the development of innovative technologies for the aerospace industry. With the introduction of a Trim Excitation Device (TED), we are taking a next step in the precision and accuracy of wind tunnel testing for tiltrotor aircraft. The development contributes to NLR's ambition to be an innovation leader in the field of wind tunnel testing.

Drones op het terrein van NLR in Marknesse
Defence and Security

27 May 2025

Accelerating drone research for Dutch Defence: the strength of an ecosystem

NLR has officially launched the Quick Response Drone Facility (QRDF). A new facility to conduct research quickly and effectively on uncrewed systems for defence. "Drones are playing an increasingly important role in aviation, for defence and also for civil applications," says Bert Thuis, Vice President Aerospace Vehicles at NLR.

Sustainability and Environment

14 March 2025

NLR and Cryoworld collaborate on flying with liquid hydrogen

NLR is taking a further step towards more sustainable flight by partnering with Cryoworld to develop a liquid hydrogen tank. This follows the agreement with zepp.solutions for a fuel cell system. The new collaboration contributes to NLR's ambition to conduct a demonstration flight on liquid hydrogen in 2026.

04 March 2025

Aeroacoustic Wind Tunnel

The NLR Aeroacoustic Wind Tunnel (NLR-AWT) is a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to researching the sources of aero-acoustic noise and developing techniques to reduce aircraft noise. Our research focuses on the early development phase (low Technology Readiness Level) or aims to improve existing systems. Additionally, we develop advanced measurement methods to identify and quantify noise sources. To gain a deeper understanding of complex airflows, we employ various flow measurement techniques, including Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) with helium-filled soap bubbles and hotwire measurements, which enable us to map airflow patterns both qualitatively and quantitatively.

Platform System Design

27 February 2025

Thermal control

Building on our expertise in thermal analysis and testing, NLR offers a wide range of services and facilities for thermal analysis and testing, including qualified R&D and test engineers, thermal vacuum chambers, thermal laboratories, and specialised test facilities such as the THETA hydrogen test facility and the Two-Phase Test Facility. Our facilities are part of our environmental test facilities, allowing us to provide a complete one-stop test campaign. We collaborate with leading companies such as NanoSpace/REALTECHNOLOGIE AG and have access to a broad range of software tools, including ESATAN, ThermXL, Abacus FEA, Matlab, Mathcad, and Labview. Our customers include major players such as AMS02 (CERN), NASA, ESA, Stork Fokker Elmo, ASML, Thales, Bradford Engineering, and Dutch Space. One of our notable successes is the development of the Tracker Thermal Control Cooling system for AMS02, a two-phase cooling system that has been operating successfully on the International Space Station (ISS) since May 2011.