Graphene plane has first airing

Preston-based scientists unveiled another world first when a graphene skinned plane was showcased at an internationally renowned air show.
The Juno graphene team with their prized exhibitThe Juno graphene team with their prized exhibit
The Juno graphene team with their prized exhibit

Juno, a three-and-a-half-metre wide graphene skinned aircraft, was given it’s first public airing on the North West Aerospace Alliance (NWAA) stand as part of the ‘Futures Day’ at Farnborough Air Show.

An engineering team from the University of Central Lancashire has been working alongside counterparts from Sheffield and Manchester and other partners on the project to get the super lightweight plane ready for action.

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Billy Beggs, UCLan’s Engineering Innovation Manager, said: “The industry reaction to Juno at Farnborough was superb with many positive comments about the work we’re doing.

“Having Juno at one the world’s biggest air shows demonstrates the great strides we’re making in leading a programme to accelerate the uptake of graphene and other nano-materials into industry.

He added: “The programme supports the objectives of the UK Industrial Strategy and the University’s Engineering Innovation Centre (EIC) to increase industry relevant research and applications linked to key local specialisms. Given that Lancashire represents the fourth largest aerospace cluster in the world, there is perhaps no better place to be developing next generation technologies for the UK aerospace industry.”

Previous graphene developments at UCLan have included the world’s first flight of a graphene skinned wing and the launch of a specially designed graphene-enhanced capsule into near space using high altitude balloons.

The team says the next step is to fly Juno and carry out more tests over the next few weeks.