Category Archives: Aircraft Propulsion & Energy

Chinese Startup’s Coin-Sized Nuclear Battery Could Fly Drones ‘Continuously’

Betavolt, a Chinese tech company, is claiming with its newly unveiled miniature nuclear battery that it says can keep working for up to 50 years. The Beijing-based company claims to have entered the “pilot stage” for the battery, which is smaller than a coin and will soon put it into mass production. Continue reading

Schubeler and Bellwether Industries to Build and Test Electric Propulsion Systems

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. Continue reading

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. Continue reading

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. Continue reading