Windracers announces successful third funding round from UKRI’s Future Flight
Cargo drone developer Windracers has achieved a successful third round of funding from UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Future Flight challenge, a program that finances technological advancements, reports dronelife.com.
Future Flight’s phase 3 projects share UKP73 million in funding for the development of integrated aviation systems and new vehicle technologies.This new round of financial backing enables Windracers to carry out additional trialing of its middle-mile logistics drones and autopilot technology.
Alongside partner Royal Mail, the drone company has completed a series of trials as part of the UKRI-funded Sustainable Aviation Test Environment (SATE) project. As part of the project, Windracers conducted test flights on the Shetland Islands and Orkney Islands. With this new capitalisation, the company will be able to carry out additional trials across further locations in Scotland, as well as work with the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) to formulate a safe regulatory environment for autonomous flight.

Charles Scales, CEO of Windracers, commented “We are extremely proud to be among this world-class group of companies that are developing the technology and infrastructure for autonomous flight. Combined with recognition and support from the UK Government, we are very well placed to lead the industrialisation of drone technology worldwide.”
Windracers’ twin-engine UAV, possesses a 10 metre wingspan and maximum payload capacity of 100kg over 1000km. The aircraft is able to operate even during harsh weather. The craft makes use of a Distributed Avionics’ high-reliability autopilot system and Masterless™ control architecture. The UAV was developed with a Zero Single Point of Failure philosophy, allowing it to adapt to flight control and flight system failures.
Windracers recently announced a partnership with Royal Mail that will establish over 50 new postal drone routes over the course of the next three years, subject to CAA approval. Royal Mail intends to reduce its carbon footprint using the lower-emission drones, while improving the reliability of island mail services which can be impacted by bad weather. Royal Mail seeks to utilise a fleet of over 500 Windracers ULTRA drones throughout the UK.
Watch Windracers Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk4QMuaExl8uGmNHtGZJglw
The drone company is also leading a separate project called ‘Protecting Environments with UAV Swarms’. With support from NERC British Antarctic Survey and Lancashire Fire and Rescue, the goal of the project is to exemplify the application of swarms of large UAVs in conducting Antarctic research and combating fires in some of the world’s harshest environments.
For more information
https://www.ukri.org/what-we-offer/browse-our-areas-of-investment-and-support/future-flight/
(News Source: https://dronelife.com)
(images: Windracers)