Aeralis and Rolls-Royce Sign Propulsion Agreement at DSEI 2021

Aeralis and Rolls-Royce signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) geared at meeting the propulsion needs of the former's modular jet aircraft at the DSEI exhibition in London.

“Yesterday at DSEI 2021 we announced collaboration with Rolls-Royce, a significant step in our journey to redefine aircraft development. This MoU will allow us to explore propulsion requirements of our modular jet, and future digital integration options,” Aeralis tweeted on September 15.

“I’m delighted to see AERALIS and Rolls Royce partnering to develop advanced digital design methodologies and investigate future power systems options for the AERALIS modular aircraft design,” said Air Commodore Jez Holmes, Head of the RAF’s Rapid Capabilities Office. “This digital engineering and digital twinning approach could deliver considerable savings relative to traditional air system design, development and sustainment, and offer the opportunity for rapid capability adaption. As such, the learning achieved could be broadly applicable across a broad range of acquisition programmes including FCAS.”

The MoU activity will focus initially on using Rolls-Royce’s propulsion systems powering the pre-production aircraft, and the ability to integrate them digitally in the aircraft design process.

Given the AERALIS aircraft can be reconfigured with different single and twin-engine modules, the MOU will also go on to explore how Rolls-Royce’s future propulsion system technology can be utilised across multiple AERALIS variant aircraft to meet different operational requirements, exploiting full digital engineering integration from trade studies to in-service operation.

Aeralis wants to build a series of basic and advanced jet trainer aircraft that share airframe, cockpit, and engine systems. . A further concept aircraft, Aeralis-X, is being developed for other possible roles, such as aggressor, aerobatics, and ground attack.