Britten-Norman is working on an autonomous version of its Islander utility aircraft. The UK manufacturer also confirmed this week that it intends to convert the aircraft to electric and hybrid-electric propulsion.
The company announced on October 6 that it is working with unmanned systems specialist Blue Bear Systems Research to convert the Islander for autonomous operations. Blue Bear is a so-called Managed Service Provider for unmanned systems with experience operating single and swarm UAS operations in the UK
Blue Bear will provide what it says are fifth-generation open architecture avionics that can be integrated with the current Islander flight deck systems. At present, the standard avionics on the aircraft, which has been in production since 1965, is based on the Garmin G600 and GTN suite, with the Genesys 55X autopilot as an optional feature.
The partners anticipate that they will have the Islander ready for autonomous operations by the mid-2020s. In the absence of a regulatory approval process for fully autonomous flight for aircraft of this size, the program will start with single-pilot operations supported by the autonomous technology. The companies intend to make the new autonomous system available for retrofit in existing aircraft that are already approved for single-pilot operations.
According to Britten-Norman, autonomous capability will support more cost-effective and efficient use of the Islander. The aircraft is in service worldwide in a variety of roles, including passenger and cargo transportation, emergency medical support, and search and rescue work. In airline service, the aircraft can carry nine passengers on flights of up to around 600 miles.
The manufacturer has yet to provide further details about the timeline for electrifying the Islander. The twin-engine aircraft is currently available with either a pair of 260-hp Lycoming 540 series pistons or 320-hp Rolls-Royce 250 B17 turboprops. Britten-Norman is part of the UK-government backed Project Fresson to advance electric propulsion systems being led by Cranfield Aerospace Solutions, which also involves Rolls-Royce and Denis Ferranti.
