A UK initiative to develop a retrofitable green propulsion system for the Brit-ten-Noman BN-2 Islander has dramatically switched course, abandoning a previous drive towards hybrid-electric power in favour of hydrogen fuel cells. Announced in November 2019, Project Fresson involved a consortium - led by Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) - that was awarded a £9 million ($12.6 million) government grant for the work. This planned to deliver a "first passenger-carrying sub-regional aircraft capable of all-electric flight" suitable for short "island hopping" missions by 2024. But Paul Hutton, chief executive of CAeS, says that detailed analysis of the electric powertrain options - pure batteries or hybrid architectures featuring piston or turbine range extenders - concluded "around three to four months ago" that they were not viable for this application.
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