This is unlike any drone you’ve ever seen before – the double engined, fixed-wing Windracers Ultra could soon be flying medical supplies to and from the Isle of Wight with Binstead Airfield set to play a vital role.
As previously reported by Island Echo, the Government has stepped in to fast track trials of drones to carry out autonomous flights to and from the Isle of Wight. Although the concept has been on the cards for sometime, it has been realised that the flights must be established quicker to support the Island during the COVID-19 crisis.
The Windracers Ultra drone can carry a whopping 100kg, but during the trial period it will carry a maximum of 40kg – starting with PPE before then expanding to carry medicines and blood, as and when approved. It it expected that as many as 4 flights a day could be carried out.
It has been revealed that the petrol-fuelled drone will fly from Solent Airport at Lee-on-Solent to Binstead Airfield, completing the journey in just 10 minutes. The payload will then be transported the short journey to St Mary’s Hospital by road.
CAA approval of the straight-line flight path is now being sought and once approved, live trials will begin.
Binstead airport ?
OK, anyone know where Binstead Airfield is?
Link to a flight
https://www.businessinsider.com/uk-drones-blood-medical-delivery-2020-4?r=US&IR=T
Nice idea, except the journey by road will take longer than the flight across. Genius. Why can’t the Newport football ground be used for landing. Much nearer or even better Sandown Airport.
Island born and bred, never new Binstead had an airfield. Anyone care to enlighten me?
Sorry, too early in the morning, please read new as KNEW
Sorry, for new read Knew, too early in the morning.
It’s not an airfield .It’s just a private grass strip .
It’s good to see that innovative solutions like this are being actively considered.
It’s better described as a miniature unmanned aircraft though, as it’s fixed wing, petrol powered and so would need a short runway.
I wasn’t aware of an airfield at Binstead; surely this is a drawback, that deliveries would require a vehicle negotiating congested roads, adding delay to the process and tying up resources.
Surely, far better to put infrastructure in place on the extensive grounds around and nearby St Mary’s Hospital, so that it can operate to and from there directly..
Binstead Airport ? Perhaps Bembridge
I agree never heard of Binstead Airport in 70 years. Bembridge airport seems a long way from St Mary’s. Surely there must be somewhere nearer.
If this device needs an airfield a fast marine craft would be quicker. If the ‘goods’ are coming from Portsmouth or Southampton why use Lee ? The proposed set up means navigating (normally) congested roads at both ends.
It’s a risky gimmick.
Sounds more like an R&D project ? Appears to be a somewhat over complex/engineered solution to crossing a modest strip of water? I would have thought that existing methods could have been used, immediately if necessary, with much less expense/delay/complexity? Be interested to see the business case?
There is a grass strip airfield in Binsted, have landed there in a microlight before
I’ve never landed there .but I have done some practice approaches over it .
Google maps shows Binstead airfield as being just West of Newnham Farm. First I had heard of it as well.
It would have perhaps saved some confusion about the way the “Drone” was so described if it had been given its more technical title of “Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) ” or possibly “Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS”) to recognise that it is a fixed wing aircraft needing a conventional (but fairly short) runway to operate from. That would have distinguished it from what most people would assume a “Drone” to be ie a multi rotor vertical take off & landing unmanned aircraft that has become popular in leisure use mostly as a toy. If it had been one of those then it could obviously have landed on the Heli-pad at the hospital. see https://www.caa.co.uk/Consumers/Unmanned-aircraft/Our-role/An-introduction-to-unmanned-aircraft-systems/
A large experimental version “Drone” was tried out from Portsmouth towards Ryde as reported on TV a while ago but it failed to make it across if I remember correctly.
good idea, use more technology
would be just as quick to drop the stuff off at the southsea hoverport instead of lee on solent, then 10 minutes on the hover and the rest by road… will arrive at the same time.
and both will be cancelled in high winds.
Yes there a grass runway at Binstead if you look on Google earth it can bee seen
Why not use a Drone and land right at the Hospital like the Helicopter ?
Because it needs a short runway .the drone is fixed wing not rotors.
There’s something that isn’t quite right about this. Why is the government putting such a lot of money into it? Despite the opportunistic PR spin it has nothing to do with the current crisis, as it can’t land at the hospital, and there’s no time saving or cost advance to using current ferry & hovercraft services. I’m getting a bit tired of the government spinning stories and journalist reporting without questioning what’s really going on.
This is a good opportunity to trial the use of a drone to transport essential things , if successful it can be used in other parts of the country .
For those wondering, Binstead Airfield is located here:
https://goo.gl/maps/SEPzPZDwQmD6QD7cA
More for mircolights than anything but long enough for this.
The airspace has just become active .Another bit I got to avoid .binstead is not an airfield it’s a private strip . Never landed on it myself .