FutureFlight
UKRI Invites Entries For Phase 3 of Future Flight Challenge
With UK government funding, the competition is offering grants to support projects aimed at advancing, “integrated aviation systems and underpinning technologies that enable new classes of electric or autonomous air vehicles.”
GKN Skybus
The Skybus eVTOL aircraft and advanced air mobility project led by GKN Aerospace was one of the projects supported by Phase 2 of the UK's Future Flight Challenge. (Image: GKN)

The government-backed UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) agency has announced plans to invest up to £65 million ($90 million) in work on, “integrated aviation systems and underpinning technologies that enable new classes of electric or autonomous air vehicles.” The September 6 announcement marked the opening of Phase 3 of UKRI’s Future Flight Challenge, for which entries will close at 11 a.m. on November 3.

Organizers explained that the next phase of the competition has been split into two “strands” with the first, “demonstrating aspects of these novel air vehicles and systems” and the second featuring, “cross-cutting technologies that enable the deployment and operation of new air vehicles.” Proposals for the grant awards can cover projects involving the operation of drones, advanced air mobility, or sub-regional electric aircraft, “in a representative environment.”