Test flights can begin for new electric aircraft

A company has been given approval to develop a new type of electric and sustainable aircraft that does not require a runway.

ARC Aero Systems, based at Cranfield in Bedfordshire, has secured Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) certification for a "gyroplane" to support rural areas and emergency rescue services.

The self-charging hybrid-electric engine does not require e-charging facilities and can run on a range of available fuels, including hydrogen.

It has been given an E Conditions certificate by the CAA, which means test flights can now take place.

ARC has launched a new round of investment looking for further funds of £1.5m from private investors and a crowd funding campaign.

It previously raised about £9m from established investors, including the British Business Bank.

The company has been modifying the Avian Pegasus, a gyroplane developed in the 1960s that never entered production.

Norwich-based charity SkyAngels Air Ambulance had bought 10 of the Pegasus aircraft and a further five will be commissioned by a Scottish-based pilot training school and an aerial service operator.

ARC’s founder and chief executive Seyed Mosheni said he was delighted to have secured the certification for the aircraft.

"We are at an exciting stage in our development and already securing advance orders for Pegasus demonstrating the wider market confidence in our innovative proposition," he said.

"This current investment round offers investors an opportunity to join our journey and help drive the business forward as we prepare to enter a market that is set to increase five-fold by the end of the decade.”

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