The goal of the project is to deliver an unmanned, liquid hydrogen-powered aircraft, designed with a 56-metre wingspan that will be able to fly for over a week due to its lightweight structure.

Aircraft manufacturer Britten-Norman will be providing key design and trial support for the project, with Marshall Futureworx providing technology for cooling systems.

The contract will see SPL’s 5G tech integrated into a Britten-Norman Islander, with flight trials due to begin in July 2024.

The turbine-powered aircraft, which is a variant of Britten-Norman’s BN2T-4S Islander, has been selected for the programme due to its performance and payload capacity and the ease with which it can be modified to accommodate the equipment. The trial will be conducted under test conditions mandated by the Civil Aviation Authority.

Britten-Norman will operate the aircraft from its Solent Airport aircraft maintenance (MRO) facility, with the mission to be performed over the North...