UK manufacturer prepares for production hydrogen-electric powered aircraft

Britten-Norman, the British manufacturer of the twin-engine Islander and Defender aircraft for regional aviation, is to create new production lines in Bembridge, UK. One of the lines will be for the manufacturing of the new, completely hydrogen-electric powered aircraft that Britten-Norman will build with green aviation innovator Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS).

The aircraft manufacturer that was set up in the British town in 1954 moved its production abroad and elsewhere in the UK over the years. The company said that the move to open up shop in Bambridge is closely connected to the increasing interest in Britten-Norman’s development of zero-emissions aircraft in the near future. CAeS is pioneering the development of a hydrogen-electric fuel cell propulsion system, which it is already in the process of testing for the Britten-Norman Islander.

According to a report by Aerotime, Britten-Norman is fully committed to sustainable initiatives: the construction of the new plant is in preparation for the planned production of the new hydrogen aircraft, which should roll off the assembly line as early as 2026.