UltraQuiet JetFoil-Enabled V/STOL Multi-Mission UAS

Whisper Aero has developed unique Electric Ducted Fans that provide scale invariant thrust that has the same high efficiency and thrust to weight ratio characteristics at any size. Because these propulsors are compact with low complexity they can be tightly integrated into emission-less electric aircraft concepts in compelling ways to achieve breakthrough performance, noise, and cost. A battery electric concept will be designed as a manned variant of a DoD hybrid electric cargo drone being developed by Whisper Aero as part of a recent STRATFI/OECIF award. The proposed effort is a unique design effort with substantially different requirements to meet a General Aviation civil mission definition that can be in production by 2030. A unique characteristic of this design is the ability to perform eVTOL, eSTOL, and eCTOL missions at different gross weights with the same aircraft. This enables a single aircraft product to have varying utility to trade off takeoff performance for added range or payload, depending on user needs. Leveraging the STRATFI drone learnings offers increased probability of achieving a certified aircraft by utilizing identical components arranged in a different configuration and with a different energy source (batteries instead of a hybrid turbogenerator). Achieving dual use across aircraft product families has been a core goal of AFWERX as they’ve stimulated the eVTOL ecosystem. Commercialization success is further enhanced by leveraging the Phase II sub-scale test aircraft to align with delivery drone requirements to validate not only the concept feasibility and also yield an operational demonstrator that has additional product potential.

This research leverages propulsor integration research conducted on Upper Surface Blowing in the 1980's by the QSRA program, as well as propulsor research conducted in 2004 on high solidity turbofan engines. With successful completion of this research, a new field of research will be opened up for tight coupling of propulsion system to the wing aerodynamics as has never been achieved previously. There would be opportunity for NASA to leverage this research for their own aeronautic research by extending the current focus on small General Aviation aircraft to larger commercial transports that could also greatly benefit from these technology improvements. This research provides the ability for aircraft to achieve dramatical improvements in takeoff and landing field length, cruise at higher speed more efficiently, achieve reductions in both acquisition and operating costs, as well as achieve dramatic reductions in aircraft noise. The application potential is enormous across aviation since there's the opportunity to dramatically improve Advanced Air Mobility concepts in the near-term, while improving larger commercial aircraft as electric energy storage technologies improve to provide greater range. In addition to aviation applications of this technology, Whisper Aero is applying the core propulsion technology described in this proposal to other industrial and commercial applications wherever quieter and more efficient movement of air is desired. Examples include a recently developed Whisper leaf blower, which has already been licensed to Stanley Black and Decker, with many additional air movement products in development with partners.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.