The
fixed-wing, twin-engined UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) has a
range of 1000 kilometres (620 miles) and can carry a payload of
up to 100 kilos in a hold around the size of an estate car boot.
The aircraft can make the trip across the Solent, the water
separating the island of 142,000 people from the mainland within
about 10 minutes, much faster than the traditional ferry
crossing, which takes about 30 minutes, and far cheaper than a
normal flight.
"I like to think of it as a sort of Land Rover of the sky, a
similar sort of niche in that it's very robust, very tough, very
easy to repair ... very reliable," said Jim Scanlan, Professor
of Aerospace Design at the University of Southampton, who
developed the drone.
The first delivery was a consignment of pathology sample cases
flown from Lee-on-Solent airport to Binstead aerodrome on the
Isle of Wight at the weekend. The drone is now on standby to fly
up to ten sorties a day should urgent supplies be needed.
The trial is part of a government project to develop a transport
system that allows manned and unmanned aircraft to operate
safely in the same airspace.
Scanlan says any remote or island community, reliant on slow
boat travel or expensive manned aircraft for supplies, could
benefit from this technology.
"A really cheap platform such as this can reliably deliver
things and can fly at night, can fly in fog, can fly in poor
weather," Scanlan added.
The UAV was developed at the University of Southampton, funded
by startup Windracers, to distribute humanitarian aid. It has
been given special permission to fly in Britain to assist with
the government's COVID-19 response.
Solent Transport, a public organisation tasked with
investigating new ways to travel and make deliveries, says the
drone is not designed to replace the existing ferries.
"There's a very good logistics system in place by the National
Health Service going across the water using the ferries," said
Conrad Haigh, Solent Transport Manager.
"We're trying to provide a supplementary service, particularly
in times like now when there's a reduction in passenger and
ferry services."
(Reporting by Stuart McDill; Writing by Matt Stock; Editing by
Alexandra Hudson)
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