Gyroplane developed in Bedfordshire could 'save more lives'
The new aircrafts have for ambition to replace costly helicopter air ambulances
A company developing gyroplanes in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, has for ambition to create a world-first sustainable and affordable mode of transport.
ARC Aero Systems, a UK company developing sustainable, runway-independent aircraft, recently received Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) E Conditions certification for its hybrid-electric aircraft, allowing them to begin test flights of its modified Avian Pegasus, a jump take-off gyroplane originally developed in the 1960s.
It features a hybrid-electric engine that can run on various fuels, including hydrogen, and does not require extensive e-charging infrastructure, making it a suitable option for areas with limited access to such facilities.
The Pegasus aircraft is designed to connect remote rural areas and support emergency services.
Founder and CEO of ARC Aero Systems, Seyed Mohseni, said: "It has environmental benefit to use this aircraft compared to other conventional engines or fixed wing at the same time because it doesn't need a runway so it can take off and land from strip of land or or even a helipad."
"Therefore, it's completely flexible to fly anywhere, including to the rural areas, and because it costs significantly less than helicopters and also more cost effective in terms of the operational cost, then it can provide significant benefit and values to the rural areas and communities that are away from centres of economy."
The company has already secured orders for 15 Pegasus aircraft, which include 10 units for SkyAngels Air Ambulance, a charity based in Norwich, and five units for a Scottish pilot training school and aerial service operator.
One of their key aim is to develop the aircrafts for air ambulance services, particularly in areas where those are needed.
Mr Mohseni said: "The current air ambulances are using helicopters, and these helicopters cost somewhere between 7 to £12,000,000 so it does all the necessary work of an ambulance can take off and land from a piece of land, so it doesn't need the runway so it can go to the incidents scenes and at the cost there is about 10% of the cost of the existing air ambulances and also operational cost of about 10%."
"So therefore this makes it very much possible for a lot of developing countries that can't afford to buy expensive helicopter ambulances to buy this aircraft and they can serve the public."
ARC Aero Systems is currently raising £1.5 million through crowdfunding and private investors to support the commercialisation of the Pegasus, with plans to bring it to market in just two years, by 2026.
The company has, so far, raised around £9 million from established investors and grants, including contributions from the British Business Bank, the Low Carbon Innovation Fund, and Innovate UK.
The current investment round is aimed at advancing ARC's efforts to offer a flexible and sustainable solution in the growing air mobility market, projected to expand significantly by the end of the decade.