State-owned Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) has provided a research fund to Centennial College to support the development of next-generation electric landing gear for energy-efficient aircraft.

Centennial College and Safran Landing Systems will use the C$2.3m ($1.6m) fund to develop the electric-actuated landing gear that will be able to offer an alternative to the aircraft’s current heavy hydraulic systems.

The newly awarded grant is part of a C$37.4m ($27m) investment made by NSERC in 37 applied-research projects.

The investments aim to create ties with local companies and colleges to develop innovations that improve Canada’s economic growth and create new and sustainable jobs.

“NSERC funding is a key component of our near-term research activities in Canada and enables Safran to engage in collaborative innovation between not only Centennial but other Canadian industrial partners."

Safran Landing Systems research and technology programme manager Joseph Lan said: “Safran Landing Systems is continually developing new technologies such as electrical actuation and additive manufacturing to ensure that we can meet the needs of our customers in the future.

“NSERC funding is a key component of our near-term research activities in Canada and enables Safran to engage in collaborative innovation between not only Centennial but other Canadian industrial partners.

“We look forward to working together closely to develop this next-generation landing gear technology that will have a direct benefit to Centennial's faculty and students, and the Canadian aerospace industry.”

Centennial College noted that the entire landing-gear research programme is worth around C$8m ($5.8m).

The college is set to open its aerospace campus at Downsview Park in Ontario by next year.

Image: Canada’s Centennial College will research and develop next generation of electric aircraft landing gear. Photo: courtesy of Centennial College.