Certo Aerospace raises £5m to speed up Capstone drone helicopter work

Certo Aerospace has raised £5 million ($6.6 million) in an equity placement from new and existing shareholders. The UK company is developing rotary-wing uncrewed aircraft. The money will speed up work on the Capstone, a 600kg-class autonomous co-axial heavy-lift helicopter, and expand its design, test and manufacturing operations in Somerset and Wiltshire.

According to the company, Capstone is in its fourth year of flight testing approved by the Civil Aviation Authority. An early prototype has been flying. A second iteration is in development with a heavy-fuel engine and revised aerodynamics aimed at better speed and range.

The aircraft is a contender in the UK Ministry of Defence's Project Nyx, which seeks a "loyal wingman" platform to operate alongside the British Army's Boeing AH-64E Apache fleet. Capstone forms part of a bid led by BAE Systems.

Chief executive Justin Tooth said the money would move Capstone closer to front-line service, beginning with UK and US military forces and later other allied nations. He also said two people can build the aircraft from basic components in about two weeks, and that payload, range and cost determine what suits customers.

Certo is examining other missions for Capstone beyond the loyal wingman role, including casualty evacuation, humanitarian relief, maritime operations and logistics. Tooth put the addressable market at tens of thousands of uncrewed helicopters.