Project Summary

VertiProp is a rapid impact feasibility study to investigate and develop next generation, high performance composite propellers for large autonomous vertical take-off drones and future urban air mobility (air taxi) vehicles. Such drones can aid the delivery of medical supplies and essential goods where traditional transport infrastructure is under pressure.

Project Achievements

The project focused on developing a proof of concept blade for a representative UAM vehicle case and involved:

• Market research to understand similar market offerings and their challenges.

• Specification development to determine optimal length, blade number, thrust etc.

• The development of design tools and blades including for a specific demo use case.

• Core design and additive manufacturing.

• Development of fibre placement skeleton, preforming of skeleton and skins, and moulding processes.

• Bend testing to successfully demonstrate a prototype UAM blade.

• Investigation of feasibility of volume scale up.

Next Steps

• Carbon ThreeSixty are committed to developing this blade manufacturing technology further to enable us, as a fast-growing composites technology based SME, to exploit this huge potential market and ensure that high value aerospace manufacturing remains in the UK.

• CTS are already engaged with several major players in the emerging UAM market and are actively seeking further development projects and investment to take these solutions to market.