Bellwether Industries, a developer of Urban Aerial Mobility (UAM) solutions, has announced a strategic partnership with Schubeler, a global supplier of electric propulsion technology. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in the evolution of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) solutions. Schubeler, a trusted long-term collaborator, has played a […]
Aircraft Propulsion & Energy
Skyryse Introduces World’s First Fully Automated Autorotation
In a major breakthrough, aviation software and safety technology startup Skyryse has completed the world’s first-ever fully automated autorotation emergency landing procedure, one of dozens of first-of-its-kind safety features that will come standard on all Skyryse technology-equipped airplanes and helicopters. Skyryse will unveil the first production helicopter featuring its technology — including the world’s first […]
Piasecki Gets $37M USAF Award for Next-Gen VTOLs and Hydrogen Propulsion Technologies
Piasecki Aircraft Corporation, a global supplier of rotorcraft and aerial vehicles, announced that it has been awarded a $37 million multi-year contract by AFWERX, the Air Force’s innovation arm in conjunction with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), as part of its Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) program. The award will enable Piasecki to flight demonstrate […]
Towards More Efficient Electric Propulsion UAV Systems Using Boundary Layer Ingestion
Researchers at the Escuela Politecnica Nacional in Chile have just published a paper which examines a formulation for the sizing of ducted fans for BLI configurations with a distributed propulsion system, based on the NASA X-48B. Abstract The implementation of distributed propulsion and boundary layer ingestion for unmanned aerial vehicles represents various challenges for the […]
First Australian Hydrogen Drone Flight
Swinburne University of Technology’s Aerostructures Innovation Research Hub (AIR Hub) has successfully completed the first flight of an Australian-developed hydrogen fuel cell electric powered VTOL drone. The flight test was achieved using AIR Hub’s innovative Small Hydrogen Aircraft Development & Evolution (SHADE) drone. This flight marks a significant milestone in Australia’s advanced air mobility (AAM) […]
L3Harris, US Navy to Develop Heavy Fuel Version of FVR-90 Drone
As the US Navy seeks to develop and field advanced unmanned systems, the Naval Air Systems Command’s Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program will look to the FVR-90 to continue VTOL experimentation and maturation efforts due to its tactical mobility and agility. The US Navy recently entered into an Other Transaction Authority with L3Harris to […]
China Tests New Rotary Detonation Engined Drone
A joint venture between Chongqing University Industrial Technology Research Institute and the Shenzhen-based private company Thrust-to-Weight Ratio Engine (TWR) has successfully tested a new rotating detonation engine (RDE) propelled drone. Conducted at an undisclosed location in Gansu province, China, reports the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the RDE-engined drone could open the door for future […]