2024 in Review: Propulsion

Turkey’s Tusas Engine Industries ran the country’s first indigenous turbofan for the first time in March, the 6,000-lb.-thrust-class TEI-TF6000. The afterburner-capable engine is targeted at crewed and uncrewed military aircraft as well as business jets, regional airliners and 10-metric-ton-class helicopters.

Hermeus in May began testing its precooler technology integrated with a Pratt & Whitney F100 engine, the first element of the Chimera turbine-based combined-cycle propulsion system to power the U.S. startup’s planned Mach 4 Quarterhorse and twin-engine, Mach 5-plus Darkhorse uncrewed aircraft.

In May, Germany’s Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport launched the Balis 2.0 project, led by H2Fly and supported by German aerospace center DLR and Diehl Aerospace, to develop a 350-kW fuel cell system as a basic module for megawatt-class propulsion systems for 40-80-seat regional aircraft.

Zero-emission propulsion developer Universal Hydrogen was forced into liquidation in June after failing to raise additional funding, despite having flown the most powerful hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain yet, in 2023. The company blamed an increasingly risk-averse venture capital market.

MTU Aero Engines and Safran Helicopter Engines in June agreed to create a 50-50 joint venture, the European Military Rotorcraft Engine Alliance (EURA), as the core of a future program to develop a powerplant for the next generation of European military helicopter, which is expected to enter service by 2040.

Boom Supersonic in July began combustor rig tests for the 35,000-lb.-thrust Symphony engine the startup is developing to power its planned Mach 1.7 Overture airliner. Core tests for the two-spool, 3:1 medium-bypass turbofan are scheduled to begin by the end of 2025.

SAFHAL Helicopter Engines, a joint venture formed in 2023 by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) and Safran Helicopter Engines, in August signed a contract with HAL to develop the Aravalli engine to power the planned 13-metric-ton Indian Multi Role Helicopter and Deck-Based Multi-Role Helicopter.

Rolls-Royce in October completed flight testing of its Pearl 10X engine for Dassault’s Falcon 10X ultra-long-range business jet. Mounted on a special test pylon on the inboard right wing of Rolls-Royce’s Boeing 747-200 flying testbed, the engine was flown on more than 25 missions starting in late March.

Venus Aerospace unveiled the initial 2,000 lb.-thrust VDR2 variant of its Venus Detonation Ramjet (VDR) in October. Intended to power a future hypersonic spaceplane, the VDR combines the high thrust of a rotating detonation rocket engine with the high cruise efficiency of a ramjet.