Ecojet, a UK regional airline startup that makes sustainability the core tenet of its value proposition, has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to acquire 20 LINX P9 gyroplane aircraft from ARC Aerosystems, with options for another 30.
The LINX P9 is essentially a new take on the gyroplane. The gyroplane, also known as “autogyro” is a type of aircraft invented in the 1920s by Spanish engineer Juan de la Cierva, which combines characteristics of rotorcraft and fixed-wing aircraft.
Gyroplanes are capable of taking off and landing vertically by having lift provided by an unpowered top rotor in an autorotation motion, but they fly horizontally when cruising, just like a conventional aircraft.
ARC Aerosystems, a British startup, purchased the blueprints for a gyroplane aircraft concept, developed in Canada in the 1960s, and updated it with modern technology to launch a family of gyroplanes, of which the LINX P9 is the largest.
The gyroplane’s autorotation technology makes it possible to operate the LINX P9 with a relatively low fuel consumption and positions it as a sustainable alternative to conventional aircraft.
“The LINX P9 supports Ecojet’s mission to pioneer the electrification of transportation, aiming for operational launch in 2024,” ARC Aerosystems stated in a press release announcing the new deal with Ecojet.
The LINX P9 is designed to carry to nine passengers to distances of up to 1,400 km, which would fit with Ecojet’s plan to operate low emissions regional flights within the British Isles.
ARC Aerosystems’ approach to advanced air mobility has also caught the attention of investors in the Middle East.
The British firm recently formed a joint venture with the National Industrial Development Centre and the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia to set up a US$400 million manufacturing facility in the country.
ARC Aerosystems is not the only company exploring new opportunities for gyroplane technology. Dutch firm PAL-V has adopted this technology for its “Liberty” flying car, while in the United States Jaunt is developing an eVTOL which also uses autorotation to generate lift.