Our Team
DR SEYED MOHSENI
Founder/CEO
Dr Seyed Mohseni is a serial entrepreneur who has founded a number of successful businesses with his academic background in Aerospace Engineering Design. He holds an MSc in Aerospace Propulsion (Cranfield University) as well as an MBA and doctorate in Gas Turbine Technology (Cranfield University). ARC Aerosystems Ltd (Formerly SAMAD Aerospace), is a UK based company, developing a range of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) electric-powered business aircraft for civil aviation use.
Chris Gear
Chief Programme Advisor
Chris is a reader for an MSc in Aircraft Design at Cranfield College of Aeronautics and a fellow of Royal Aeronautical Society and a Chartered Engineer. He has over 40 years of experience in the aerospace industry, working in engineering and technology applications linked to manufacturing processes. He was the Fly Zero Project Director for ATI and BEIS, where we won the Team Silver Medal from Royal Aeronautic Society for their work on Hydrogen commercial aircraft applications. Chris has spent the majority of his working life at GKN Aerospace and retired in 2019 as the Chief Technology Officer for Aerospace. He chaired the GKN Group’s Technologist Fellows who worked across aerospace and automotive on metallic and composite products and processes. Chris’ key capabilities lie in working with highly technical teams to deliver complex engineer products with leading edge technology in materials and processes within the constraints of governance and policies aligned to aerospace products.
RICHARD ABBOTT
Chief Technical Officer
Graduated from Manchester Polytechnic (now the Metropolitan University of Manchester) in the UK in 1992. He worked as a stress engineer on multiple civil and military aircraft projects in the UK including multiple versions of the BAE Hawk, T45 Goshawk, Nimrod MR4, the Bombardier CRJ Aircraft and the Saab Gripen. Richard and family moved between San Antonio, Texas, USA (Sino Swearingen Aircraft Corporation, SJ30 business jet), Gossellies, Belgium (Sonaca SA, Dassault F7X program) and London, Ontario Canada (Diamond Aircraft D-Jet Program). Since 2008, through Abbott Aerospace, Richard Abbott has contributed to many aircraft projects at startup companies and established OEMs.
GLENN WATERS
Head of Advanced Tech.
Currently involved in Autonomous & Connected Vehicles. Expertise in Design, Construction and Testing of UAV and Small Piloted Aircraft. Lifetime experience in high level Motorsport – For more than 20 years has led the transition of motorsport technologies into Aerospace/Other applications with particular emphasis in Electronic Control & Data Systems and Propulsion Technologies. Cosworth/Pi Research – McLaren Applied Technologies. Started formal work with Team Lotus in F1 in 1973. Founded companies (Racing Technology Norfolk -etc.) which conducted joint ventures with Toyota Motor Corporation and the Audi Volkswagen Group. Finished contracting work at McLaren Applied Technologies in December 2016.
John Wighton
Head Of Design Organization
John Wighton has extensive background in certification across a variety of airborne platforms. His specialist skill area is structural optimisation where he champions the adoption of innovative, ultra-lightweight, designs. He studied at Herts University and LSBU, he is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. His experience in industry began with an engineering apprenticeship at BAe Hatfield, consulting work for a major Tier 1 company followed by many years of entrepreneurial activity, including a JV with GE Plastics where he set up an engineering services company that was later divested. He has held major post-holder positions at CAA DOA and EASA Part 21J organisations. In recent times his portfolio of projects includes e-VTOL development, involvement with the RR ACCEL electric aircraft program as well as type approval work on period replicas of historic aircraft.
NORMAN WIJKER
Chief Designer
Norman Wijker is a graduate of Cranfield University’s famous Aerospace Vehicle Design course. After graduation, Norman worked in a variety of roles, from software coding for Tilt-rotor performance at the MoD to all-round design/manufacturing at Edgely Aeronautics and positions in Airbus and Boeing. In 2002 Norman brought together a team of sailors and engineers to design and race a C class catamaran for the “little America’s Cup” and raced in championships in the USA and UK. This led to a job working for Airbus future projects during which time Norman was consulted on the new “innovation cell” in Toulouse. Since joining ARC (Formerly SAMAD) in 2018, Norman has led the designs for e-Starling and Q-Starling.
PROF. IAIN GRAY
Chief Strategy Advisor
Professor Gray has strong industry background in aerospace having spent nearly 30 years in the Aerospace Manufacturing/Engineering sector, ultimately heading Airbus in the UK.
He led the UK Government Innovation agenda as Chief Executive of the Technology Strategy Board, responsible for an £0.5bn annual budget and interacting with approx 5000 businesses large and small across all sectors. He also occupies board member positions, and non-exec roles of various bodies including Universities, third sector and professional engineering professional bodies. Professor Gray has a recognised leadership role often providing opinion and keynote speeches across the engineering and innovation landscape. Moreover, he is currently Professor and Director of Aerospace at Cranfield University.
MARWAN MAURIZIO CHEDID
Certification Specialist
Dr Marwan Maurizio Chedid has an extensive background with aircraft structures (metal and composite materials, MSc Cranfield University), flight and ground loads (numerical and experimental, PhD at Cranfield University) means of compliance of the certification rules of Initial and Continuing Airworthiness, Structural Integrity Programmes (Operational Loads Measurement, Life Extension) developed through international aerospace manufacturers (Vulcanair, Partenavia, Pilatus, Evektor, and Comac) and maintenance organisation (Marshall Aerospace). This exposed him for more than 20 years to the challenges of the technical departments for civil and military aircraft regulated according to international aviation authorities.
Our Business Opportunity
Technology driven for an engineered future
Timeline
2018
S1D & S2D
- S1D. The first flying prototype of the e-Starling was developed to prove the ARC Aerosystems concept. It has been named the S1 and is a 10% scaled fully-electric and remotely piloted aircraft. It was first showcased in EBACE 2018, in Geneva.
- S2D. Fully electric and remotely piloted aircraft, 20% scale of the e-starling, also a concept demonstrator. It was showcased in EBACE 2018 in Geneva.
2019
S1P & S2P
S1P. To enhance understanding of control mechanisms and the performance of larger fan propellers, the S1P was designed. It has been named the S1 and is a 10% scaled fully electric and remotely piloted aircraft. It was tested successfully in 2019. The S1P uses contrarotating propellers to generate lift- S2P. ARC Aerosystems progressed to a larger prototype with a wingspan of 20% the size of the e-Starling, namely the S2P. This aircraft was also fully electrically powered and remotely piloted and used to demonstrate a more scalable prototype. High RPM electric ducted fans (EDF) were used to create lift.
2020
S5U
- S5U. 50%-scale prototypes of the e-Starling, CTOL versions. The first milestone of this phase was the delivery of an unmanned version (S5U). It has a wing- span of approximately 8 meters. The S5U prototype underwent flight tests in Sept 2020.
2021
S5M
- A huge year for ARC Aerosystems! 2021 saw numerous successful unmanned VTOL hover tests (fully electric), shortly followed by the ground-breaking manned VTOL hover test (fully electric).
2022
ARC C
ARC C-150
2022. Significant time saving is the most noteworthy benefit of the ARC C150 aircraft. A fixed
wing VTOL UAV will eliminate dependency on runways/launch and recovery facility. It
is fast, less sensitive to adverse weather than multi-rotor drones and the range is long
enough to cover most remote locations of the country.
Using BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line Of Sight) technology, ARC C150 can be piloted
remotely and eventually will be autonomous.
ARC C-600
- 2022:A fixed wing VTOL UAV will eliminate dependency on runways/launch and recovery facility. It is
fast, less sensitive to adverse weather than multi-rotor drones and the range is long enough to
cover most remote locations of the country.
Using BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line Of Sight) technology, ARC C600 can be piloted remotely and
eventually will be autonomous. solution.
2027
LINX P9
