Snowdonia Aerospace Centre, a large-scale drone facility in the UK, has selected Aerovolt (partnered with Eaton) to provide multiple charging systems for aircraft development and future flight technologies.
At the beginning of March, Aerovolt will install its certified smart charging system – which uses the AS6968 protocol currently used by several certified and in-development aircraft – enabling new electric aircraft systems, manned and unmanned, to use point-to-point flying and recharging across the UK. Aerovolt is currently engaged in smart charging installs for new electric aircraft at nearly 70 UK regional and medium-size airports, with several already completed. The installation will also reportedly feature the UK’s first thermal runway detection system for airside charging facilities using a bespoke wireless thermal monitoring and alarm system.
Snowdonia Aerospace Centre is also planning the UK’s first eVTOL vertiport facility following the introduction of new Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) guidelines in January 2024. The vertiport portal will support automated take-off, landing and terminal area maneuvering of drones and eVTOL aircraft. Slink-Tech is also in discussion with policy experts from the CAA to use the vertiport to capture eVTOL noise and rotor downwash data as part of certification testing for this new class of air vehicles.
The combination of the Aerovolt electric charging system and the Slink-Tech portal, along with Snowdonia Aerospace Centre’s existing permanent airspace danger area and in-house air navigation service provision (ANSP), is intended to create the UK’s premier flight test center for eVTOL.
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