Search
Close this search box.

About Us

For almost 30 years, we have been designing and certifying complex modifications to aircraft and delivering challenging engineering solutions for the world's largest aerospace companies.

  • CAA approvals for aerospace design, certification, production and maintenance.
  • Whole aircraft concept design and aircraft-level integration capabilities.
  • Developing scalable hydrogen-electric propulsion for clean aviation.
  • Targeting world’s first zero emission commercial aircraft by 2027.
4049-0364

Our Capabilities

4049-0951

Design Organisation
• CAA Part 21J
• CAA BCAR A8-21
• UK MOD MAA DAOS

Production Organisation
• CAA Part 21G
• CAA BCAR A8-21

Maintenance Organisation
• CAA Part 145

Experienced

Almost 30 years industry experience

Trusted by world-renowned aerospace OEMs

Delivered complex aircraft modifications, sub-scale and full-scale ground and flight test aircraft demonstrators

hydrogen aircraft demonstrator

Kick-starting the Zero Emissions Age of Aviation

Developing zero emissions hydrogen fuel cell drivetrains that are scalable and adaptable to multiple applications

Identifying the real challenges of zero emissions aviation technology – and solving them

Our Collaborations

We believe that collaboration is the key to success and we take pride in the strength of our relationships with our partners.

Select a logo below to discover more

Our Customers

Select a logo below to discover more

Our Approach

The use of hydrogen in aviation is novel. There are currently no standards or regulations in place to guide technology developers, airlines, airports or fuel providers on how to achieve the high levels of safety required by the industry.

Drawing on over 30 years’ experience of providing safe and certified aerospace solutions, CAeS is taking a phased approach to the development of our technology and its introduction to the market. We will be working closely with regulators and partners to not only optimise our solutions but also to drive the necessary standards and regulation that will enable the Zero Emissions Age of Aviation.

Cranfield Aerospace hydrogen propulsion technology
Technology

Development of a 250kW hydrogen fuel cell drivetrain, designed to be scalable and adaptable to multiple platforms. The initial route to market is via retrofit of an existing aircraft, the 9-seat Britten-Norman Islander.

Integration into a specific platform allows us to develop the requirements to ensure our technology is safe, certifiable and commercially viable at the aircraft level.

Working with the Civil Aviation Authority (and others) to define the route to certification of hydrogen powered aircraft and technology.

Working with government, regulators, airports and partners across industry to bring hydrogen to the airports where our customers need it, at a price that will enable the first zero emissions operations to be profitable and successful

Working with airlines, airports, regulators and government to drive forward and understand the necessary standards, regulation & technology required to enable safe refuelling, storage and handling of hydrogen in a commercial airport and maintenance environment

Working with airlines to understand the economics of zero emissions operations and how designs can deliver a compelling value proposition to our customers and their end users

cargo drone technology

Because we solved the tough challenges such as thermal management and packaging early on in Phase 1, we are now able to assess the suitability of the technology to alternative applications and begin working on those developments with a view to bringing them to market from 2028.

Every aircraft platform and application varies in the space available, power requirements, payload/range and mission requirements; meaning that even a modular and scalable system will need some adaptation to give our platform partners the optimum solution for their needs. Our decades of experience in aircraft integration means we inherently understand how to do this in the most effective manner.

We are already beginning to assess and work on applications including cargo UAVs, eVTOLs, seaplanes and also non-propulsive applications, such as APUs.

This adaptability maximises our market coverage, helps to de-risk against depending on any one revenue stream and assists us to develop and scale not only the technology but also our manufacturing capabilities. This reduces cost and improves consistency and reliability as we continue to develop and improve our technology, using ever-increasing amounts of in-service data from operations and customer feedback.

Fresson38renderMK18SIDEVIEW

Hydrogen propulsion technology has such an impact on airframe design that for it to realise its full potential, the airframe and the propulsion system must work in symbiosis.

Retrofit can only get you so far.

Building on the learning produced from of our propulsion system developments and products and our capabilities and experience in whole aircraft design, we plan to develop a regional, zero emissions hydrogen aircraft of the future.

CAeS Timeline

1997

Cranfield Aerospace Limited is established as a separate entity to Cranfield University

2019

Project Fresson is established, backed by the ATI Programme

2022

£14.4m raised from Series A investment round

2023

Miracle of packaging’ achieved: hydrogen engine integrated into nacelle

2024

Closure of Series B round

2025

CAeS' first hydrogen-electric powered flight

2026

Target for certification of Supplemental Type Certificate with Fresson hydrogen-electric power train 

2027

Target for the first hydrogen powered aircraft, the hydrogen-electric Islander

2028+

Application of power train to other platforms

2032+

Clean sheet aircraft, optimised for hydrogen power