case study
Swift Aircraft is part of the Swift Technology Group and has been based at Scottow Enterprise Park since 2009. This innovative company is developing the Swift, a light aircraft utilising alternative fuels, including electric propulsion.
grant received
Funding to purchase specialised tools and equipment specific to the aerospace industry.
Swift Aircraft is part of the Swift Technology Group and have been based at Scottow Enterprise Park since 2009. This innovative company is developing the ‘Swift’, a light aircraft utilising alternative fuels including electric propulsion.
In 2021, the Royal Air Force announced its intention to become carbon neutral by 2040. To support this aim, the RAF launched Project Monet in 2023 with the MOD awarding Swift Aircraft a contract to develop the Swift as a zero-emission aircraft. Currently using Li-Ion battery technology, the Swift may also have the potential to utilise alternative power sources, including hydrogen fuel cells. The light aircraft is set to define a revolution in pilot training and general aviation. Designed and manufactured entirely in the UK, the Swift is a two-seater low wing composite aircraft with elliptical wings and double curvature surfaces.
Supported by North Norfolk District Council and the Rural Business and Community Grant, funded by the UK Government through the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF), Swift Aircraft has been able to fund the purchase of specialised tools and equipment specific to the aerospace industry. These are needed to create the prototype aircraft capable of using electricity as a power source.
Swift Aircraft is committed to supporting and furthering STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education, with members of their management team being official STEM Ambassadors with STEM Learning UK. The company also has links to a number of educational institutions and youth groups, working together to help develop engineers and aviators of the future. This includes University Technical College Norfolk (UTCN), Norwich Airport Aviation Academy and Cranfield University.
North Norfolk District Council have been able to help us by facilitating a business innovation grant through the Rural England Prosperity Fund which has accelerated our growth, setting us up with all of the tools and equipment necessary for the assembly of our first prototype aircraft. We are incredibly grateful for the help and support they provided and for unlocking this opportunity for us to take in one leap, what would otherwise have taken months or years.David Stanbridge,
CEO and Chief Designer at Swift Aircraft
