Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. (ESAero), a leader in electric aircraft technologies, and Intelligent Energy Limited (IE), a manufacturer of lightweight hydrogen fuel cells for flight, have signed a distributor agreement for ESAero to represent the IE-SOAR fuel cell product line on fixed wing, rotary wing and VTOL applications in the US.
ESAero produces UAS and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) platforms for commercial and military applications. For decades ESAero has demonstrated its core competencies in the design and manufacture of innovative, efficient, and sustainable electric aircraft technologies. ESAero’s AS9100-certified manufacturing skills and Group I through Group III design and integration experiences are suited to advance the use of IE’s SOAR and future FLIGHT product lines. ESAero believes its US market presence is well-positioned to accelerate customer integration of the IE-SOAR fuel cells into its products.
IE develops and manufactures hydrogen fuel cell products in the UK, with the IE-SOAR line delivering clean power from 800W to 24kW for aerial applications. The IE fuel cell line includes retrofit kits for integration into existing UAS products, enhancing mission performance that requires increased endurance. IE-SOAR technology is designed to unchain UAS from the restrictive flight times offered by current battery technologies.
ESAero engaged with IE in 2021, testing, validating, and integrating the IE-SOAR products in VTOL and fixed-wing small and medium UAS, including ESAero’s own Group I FAST, a swarming UAS system.
ESAero will provide direct sales of IE’s fuel cells to US customers and engineering and design support for the integration of fuel cells and electric propulsion systems.
Andrew Gibson, President & CEO of ESAero, said: “Intelligent Energy’s IE- SOAR products enable us to take our products and our customers’ products to the next level. Not only do they significantly increase the endurance of existing battery-powered UAS, but they also do it in a clean and sustainable manner, supporting ESAero’s mission to bring the best, most efficient, and cleanest UAS and AAM capabilities forward to the aerospace industry.”
Andy Kelly, Head of IE-Soar Product Line, added: “In 2021 we identified ESAero as an ideal partner to represent our IE-SOAR products in North America. ESAero’s engineering and manufacturing capabilities perfectly complement the integration of our products. We are delighted to announce this distribution partnership and look forward to the North American market further realizing the benefits of our technology.”
ESAero will feature the IE-SOAR Product line and Group II UAS Integration during the week of May 8th, 2023 in exhibits at AUVSI Xponential in Denver, CO and at Global SOF ‘SOFWeek’ in Tampa, FL.
