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Project Heart is looking to pioneer zero-emission regional air services
A project to trial zero-carbon plane flights that includes architect Weston Williamson among its core team members has secured a £1.8m government grant to help services launch in four years’ time.
The practice is one of 10 organisations in the Project Heart consortium that is looking to trial zero-carbon, zero-emission hydrogen-electric flights between remote Scottish islands.
It said Project Heart, which stands for hydrogen-electric automated regional transport, would construct and operate the world’s first zero-emission 19-seater commercial aircraft route. The project, which will also include dedicated green hydrogen infrastructure, is targeting a start to services in 2025.
By Dominic Perry2021-01-29T10:34:00+00:00
Blue Bear Systems Research is celebrating a double funding win after securing UK government backing for a pair of projects that could eventually boost sub-regional aviation through the deployment of pilotless, hydrogen- or electric-powered aircraft.
As the leader of Project HEART – or Hydrogen Electric and Automated Regional Transportation – Blue Bear and its consortium partners will demonstrate advanced autonomous controls on a Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander that are sufficiently robust to allow single-pilot operations.
Source: Britten-Norman
Autonomous systems will be tested on Islander
In addition, the practicality of using hydrogen power – including infrastructure and operational issues – for short-range flights will be examined with consortium members including ZeroAvia, Scottish carrier Loganair, and Highlands & Islands Airports, which runs facilities in the north and west of Scotland.