Ex-drone, somewhere in Siberia
Incontinent pigeons could be the least of pedestrians’ worries if any of these headline-seeking flights of fancy come to fruition. Election soon?
Funding will support new technologies including electric passenger planes, flying urban taxis and freight-carrying drones, says Energy Live News.
Up to £300 million of investment has been announced for the development of cleaner and greener forms of transport in Britain.
The government will provide £125 million of funding, which will be supported by industry co-investment of up to £175 million for new technologies including electric passenger planes, flying urban taxis and freight-carrying drones.
It is part of a new Future of Flight Challenge announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, which will be delivered by UK Research and Innovation.
Industry will initially focus on smaller aircraft and drones to ensure the suitability of the new technologies before developing them for larger aircrafts.
The first competition to create concept studies will open on 30th September 2019.
Five new transport research networks will also receive an additional £5 million boost for their work in developing electric planes and cleaner forms of fuel and other tech innovations to reduce emissions and improve air quality.
Mr Johnson said: “From our shopping choices to planning our holidays, we rightly want to make decisions that protect the planet.”
Full report here.
Tallbloke's Talkshop 
Recent e-plane news…
All-Electric Plane Crash-Lands In Blow To Norway’s Aviation Strategy
Avinor’s CEO Dag Falk-Petersen was piloting the plane, alongside State Secretary Aase Marthe J. Horrigmo. Neither was injured in the incident.
The plane took off from Arendal airport, approximately 285 km (177 miles) southwest of Norway’s capital, Oslo. Falk-Petersen estimated they were traveling at a speed of about 70 kph (43 mph) when they hit the water.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidnikel/2019/08/15/all-electric-plane-crash-lands-in-lake-in-blow-to-norways-aviation-strategy
Reblogged this on Climate- Science.press.
Proven technology.
If they want ‘electric aircraft’ then they will need to revive the ‘aircraft reactor experiment’ of May 1946 (the first molten salt reactor experiments) because batteries just don’t cut it.
This is typical government civil servant thinking that they can get something for nothing, just like the pittance they advanced to Reaction Engines for the development of the engines for the Skylon project
Some bodies have been watching too much Fifth Element…
Off topic – it’s all kicking off in UK politics today…
Boris Johnson asks Queen to suspend Parliament
21 minutes ago
‘A number of high profile figures, including former Prime Minister John Major, have threatened to go to the courts to stop it, and a legal challenge led by the SNP’s justice spokeswoman, Joanna Cherry, is already working its way through the Scottish courts.
BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond said it was established precedent to prorogue Parliament before a Queen’s Speech, albeit generally more briefly, and rarely, if ever, at such a constitutionally charged time.’
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49493632
Brexit clock is ticking.
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Johnson calls his opponents’ bluff
https://www.conservativehome.com/thetorydiary/2019/08/johnson-calls-his-opponents-bluff.html