Faradair Aerospace Limited

What Faradair Aerospace Limited does

Faradair Aerospace Limited is a UK-based Advanced Air Mobility company founded in 2014 in Cambridge, developing crewed and uncrewed aircraft built around hybrid-electric propulsion and an innovative joined-wing (box-wing) aerodynamic configuration. Its core product is the BEHA (Bio-Electric Hybrid Aircraft), a clean-sheet design that has been in continuous aerodynamic development since 2016 under Chief Aerodynamicist Prof. Ben Evans of Swansea University, with a stated performance claim of flying faster, further, and carrying more payload than peers in its class. The portfolio also includes a legacy SWIFT II Target UAV that anchors the company's UAV innovation heritage dating to 1988.

The business model is direct B2B aircraft sales into two segments: defence and military customers seeking multi-mission unmanned air systems tied to current geopolitical demand, and commercial Regional Air Mobility (RAM) operators pursuing sustainable, low-cost, high-volume regional flight. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; revenue is expected to begin only once proof-of-concept flights of the first full-scale prototype are completed. The company currently operates with 11–50 employees, engages governments and investors directly, and has not yet disclosed named customers, LOIs, or revenue figures.

Faradair is founder-led under CEO Neil Cloughley, with CFO Jon Sturgess and an advisory board that includes former Boeing VP Marketing Randy Tinseth (Chair), a retired USAF Lt Col, a former UK Fleet Air Arm F-35 program commander, an IATA/Heathrow engineer, and a Mercedes AMG HPP F1 manufacturing engineer. The company is recognized by PwC as a company to watch and is a winner of the Sir Michael Marshall Award for Sustainability in Aviation, and is partnered with Swansea University's aerospace engineering and testing facilities. Two funding rounds are on record (SFC Capital in 2015 and an undisclosed 2016 round) with no disclosed amounts, and the company describes itself as engaged with customers, investors and governments with near-term revenue and scale-up expectations.

Name

Faradair Aerospace Limited

Legal name

Faradair Aerospace Limited

Website

https://faradair.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advanced Air Mobility Aircraft Manufacturing

NAICS

Aircraft Manufacturing (336411), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641)

SIC

Aircraft & Parts (3720), Aircraft (3721)

akta.pro primary industry

Special-Mission Fixed-Wing Aircraft Manufacturing (ISR, AEW&C, Patrol) (IMABAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Electric & Hybrid-Electric Propulsion (eVTOL/Regional) (IMABADAH), Military Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) & Autonomous Aerial Platforms (IMABAMAC), Fixed-Wing Unmanned Aircraft (UAV) (IMABAIAB)

Keywords

• Hybrid electric aircraft
• Advanced air mobility
• Unmanned aerial systems
• Regional air mobility
• Sustainable aviation

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Aircraft Sales: Faradair develops and plans to manufacture and sell next-generation aircraft for both crewed and uncrewed operations targeting defence and commercial markets. The company expects revenue delivery in the near future as it progresses toward proof-of-concept flights.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Faradair designs and is developing next-generation hybrid-electric aircraft using proprietary box-wing configurations, centered on the BEHA (Bio-Electric Hybrid Aircraft) platform, for both crewed and uncrewed operations. The company targets defence and commercial markets with multi-mission air systems and a legacy SWIFT II Target UAV, pursuing a "low cost - high volume" approach to sustainable Regional Air Mobility and unmanned aviation.

Product overview

Faradair Aerospace Limited is a UK-based Advanced Air Mobility company developing a portfolio of innovative air assets centered on the BEHA (Bio-Electric Hybrid Aircraft) as its core product. The company leverages hybrid-electric propulsion technology and box-wing configuration designs to deliver both crewed and uncrewed aircraft for regional air mobility operations. The portfolio includes the flagship BEHA aircraft currently in final design phase toward proof-of-concept flights, alongside legacy UAV technology exemplified by the SWIFT II Target UAV, positioning Faradair to serve defence and commercial markets with multi-mission air system capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BEHA (Bio-Electric Hybrid Aircraft) Faradair's flagship clean-sheet hybrid-electric aircraft using a proprietary box-wing configuration, designed for both crewed and uncrewed operations with multi-mission capability and intended to fly faster, further and carry more payload than peers in its class. Targeted at defence customers and commercial Regional Air Mobility operators.
• SWIFT II Target UAV Legacy unmanned aerial target vehicle developed from Faradair's pioneering UAV innovation experience, demonstrating the company's heritage in unmanned aviation technology and its legacy of winning overseas contracts.

Quantifiable outcome

• First full-scale prototype aircraft nearing completion with performance capability exceeding peers in class

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Aerospace Industry PartnersflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 January 2021Press release dated January 25, 2021 indicates partnership announcements with aerospace industry partners. The company is partnered with world-class partners to deliver its first unmanned air asset to meet geopolitical demands. Multiple press releases on the press releases page reference industry partnerships.
• Swansea UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Swansea University's aerospace engineering faculty and testing facilities. Professor Ben Evans, Head of Aerospace Engineering at Swansea University, serves as Chief Aerodynamicist and leads the partnership. He has been working with Faradair since 2016 to evolve the BEHA aircraft design and brings expertise from the Bloodhound SSC supersonic land speed record project.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ZeroAvia: UK-based hydrogen-electric powertrain developer for regional aircraft. Shares Faradair's hybrid/sustainable propulsion focus and UK base; targets the same Regional Air Mobility segment with a propulsion-system approach rather than full airframe.
• Electra.aero: US-based developer of hybrid-electric short take-off and landing (STOL) aircraft for regional air mobility. Comparable to Faradair's hybrid-electric, regional, fixed-wing approach to short-haul sustainable aviation.
• Eviation Aircraft: Developer of the Alice all-electric commuter aircraft for regional air mobility. Comparable to Faradair's BEHA as a clean-sheet regional aircraft targeting sustainable aviation, though Eviation is pure electric while Faradair is hybrid-electric.
• Wright Electric: US-based developer of electric propulsion systems and aircraft for commercial aviation. Comparable to Faradair as a clean-sheet sustainable aviation startup targeting commercial regional operators with novel propulsion.
• Heart Aerospace: Sweden-based developer of the ES-30 hybrid-electric regional aircraft (30-seat class). Most directly comparable to Faradair's BEHA — both target short-haul regional routes with hybrid-electric propulsion and crewed configurations for commercial airlines.
• Vertical Aerospace: UK-based eVTOL developer (VX4) targeting urban and regional air mobility. Comparable as a UK-headquartered Advanced Air Mobility company pursuing certification of novel electric/hybrid aircraft for passenger transport, though Vertical focuses on eVTOL rather than fixed-wing.

Broad incumbents

• Joby Aviation: US-listed eVTOL developer with substantial capital, FAA certification progress, and established manufacturing partnerships. Comparable as a high-capital AAM competitor pursuing type certification of electric aircraft for passenger transport, representing the scale benchmark Faradair must reach.
• Airbus: Global aerospace prime with ZEROe hydrogen aircraft programme and significant hybrid-electric R&D investment. Comparable as a broad incumbent entering the same hybrid/sustainable regional aviation space, with vastly greater capital and certification capability.

Regional players

• Britten-Norman: UK-based manufacturer of the Islander and Defender utility aircraft for regional and defence markets. Comparable as a UK-headquartered small-aircraft manufacturer serving defence and regional commercial operators, overlapping with Faradair's BEHA multi-mission and Regional Air Mobility segments.

Emerging players

• Cranfield Aerospace Solutions: UK-based developer of hydrogen-electric propulsion conversions for regional aircraft (notably the Britten-Norman Islander). Comparable as a UK-headquartered sustainable regional aviation player with a propulsion-focused approach overlapping with Faradair's hybrid-electric thesis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/faradair
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/faradair-aerospace

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Faradair Aerospace Limited