Sustainable Aviation Test Environment or SATE, along with lead partner Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) has welcomed consortium partner ARC Aerosystems to Wick John O’Groats airport, where tethered trials have been conducted with the ARC C-600, autonomous aircraft.
According to a social media post “The C-600, designed and built by ARC Aerosystems, is the largest VTOL UAV in Europe with a wingspan of over eight metres, 100kg payload capacity, and the ability to travel up to 400km.
“The aircraft is fitted with a cutting-edge fixed-wing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) design which eliminates the need for runways, making it perfectly suited to support the needs of rural communities in operations including mail deliveries, fisheries, and windfarms.
“Improving rural connectivity is one of SATE’s key missions. The project, embedded at Orkney’s Kirkwall Airport, is ideally positioned to serve as a living laboratory for cutting edge developments like the C-600 where its real-world tech can be tested.”
Welcoming the successful test, SATE manager Jayne Golding said “ARC Aerosystems conducted tethered flight trials earlier this month and we are delighted to have them here to welcome key stakeholders over the next two days, including some local high school pupils and college students, who are interested in STEM.
“One of our ambitions is that successful trials mean our partners can use the trial data to help showcase aircrafts and technology, allowing them to develop a use case for commercial use.
“HIAL’s remote airports are ideal for testing such flights and showing how rural connectivity is vital. With thanks to UKRI and the CAA for supporting us and our partners.”
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(Image: SATE)
