Marshall Aerospace, the UK aircraft modifications specialist, is diversifying into advanced air mobility by offering its expertise in complex engineering projects and managing both assets and services. The Cambridge-based group’s new Futureworx recently launched an autonomous vehicles operations partnership with drone manufacturer ISS Aerospace and software company Sees.ai in what it views as an expansion that could soon lead to further initiatives in areas such as hydrogen propulsion.
The venture will involve Marshall and its partners offering drone technology and services to industries such as offshore renewable energy, defense, and security operations, and the decommissioning of nuclear facilities. Sees.ai will be integrating its autonomous navigation and command and control software to support beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations with ISS Aerospace’s drones.
“We’re addressing challenges such as whether drones can be permanently deployed and instructed to conduct tasks with intelligence and autonomously under remote command and control,” Futureworx founder and managing director Chris Walton told FutureFlight. “The technology is coming to the point of maturity, but what’s lacking is someone to thread the technology strands together and deliver a complete service. We started about 18 months ago looking at megatrends like autonomy and how industries that have assets in environments such as offshore need constant inspection.”
According to Futureworx, it expects to have the first of ISS Aerospace’s drones in test flights by June 2023. The partners believe that commercial services could start for initial clients fairly soon after.
Marshall, which has been active in the aviation sector since the 1930s, sees itself as the technology and service integrator in the partnership. It is building on decades of experience conducting complex modifications and upgrades to military aircraft such as C-130 troop carriers and also as a maintenance, repair, and overhaul provider.
The Futureworx team believes Marshall’s pedigree of handling complex and sensitive aviation programs will make it a valuable partner to start-ups with brilliant technological ideas but little experience in bringing products to market. “We’re used to getting things done in a tightly regulated environment,” said co-founder Kieren Paterson. “There is a lot of hype and buzz around this [AAM] sector but new companies can hit barriers after doing their initial development work.”
The new Marshall business unit is quietly working with two or three undisclosed prospective partners on what Walton described as fundamental hydrogen technology for aviation. It aims to announce details of this venture later this year, and Paterson indicated it could take five years to certify a new approach to hydrogen fuel storage and distribution. The company says it may also become involved in the development of propulsion systems.
