Cranfield’s autonomous rescue aircraft secures place in GoAero finals

A Cranfield University team developing a next-generation emergency response aircraft has been named one of only eight Stage Two Prototype winners in the global GoAero Challenge.

The CraneAERO team — comprising staff, students and researchers — was selected from 1,800 innovators across 85 countries and is the only UK group to progress to the next phase.

The team’s concept, the CRANE (Cranfield Rapid Aerial Network for Emergency), is a fully autonomous, remotely piloted electric VTOL quad-rotor designed to transport people, supplies and equipment during search-and-rescue and disaster relief operations. A scaled-down version of the aircraft completed successful test flights in September.

Dr Dmitry Ignatyev, Senior Lecturer in Flight Dynamics and Control and lead for CraneAERO, said the project aims to “redefine what fast, accessible, life-saving aviation can look like,” adding that the competition win is “great validation of our concept and the hard work of the whole team.”

The CRANE platform incorporates AI-enabled navigation systems to support real-time mission adaptation and enhance safety. During Stage Two, the team consulted charities and emergency response organisations to refine operational requirements, and carried out design testing in Cranfield’s Drone Flight Arena.

Several partners have joined the project, including Structural Battery Company, Beechat, SimScale, Easy Composites, 3DXR and Radiolink, alongside an advisory panel with input from the Advanced Air Mobility Institute and London Air Ambulance Service.

The team will now further develop the design in preparation for the Fly-Off Qualifier in December 2026, where they must demonstrate a full-scale prototype in flight to secure a place in Stage Three — a full-scale build and live demonstration at NASA’s Ames Research Centre in 2027.

Watch the CRANE aircraft in action:

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