Tue, Apr 29, 2025
To Support Testing Innovative ‘Ultra Quiet’ Electric Jet Engine
Whisper Aero, Tennessee-based ultralight aircraft company and maker of next-gen ultra-quiet propulsion systems, and Tennessee Tech University announced they have secured a grant of $500,000 to advance the company’s electric jet motor idea from concept onto the testing phase.
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development announced its plans to award the grant through the Transportation Network Growth Opportunity initiative. The grant will be used to outfit a Whisper Aero ultralight – essentially an Aeriane Swift3 glider – with a pair of the company’s eQ250 electric-powered jet “propulsors.” Tennessee Tech students and faculty will perform copper-bird ground testing to confirm the safe integration of the system’s engines, batteries, and controllers.
The testing will also provide a jump start to the school’s new Crossville Mobility Incubator. Both Whisper Aero and Tennessee Tech are located in Crossville.
Whisper Aero, with its mix of tech and engineering leaders from NASA, Uber Elevate, Northrop Grumman, and Rolls Royce, has developed a line of Ultra Quiet WhisperDrive electric engines. The electric-powered engine uses a large number of composite fan blades mounted inside a lightweight, acoustically treated duct.
The high blade count can push more air than a conventional prop or turbine but does so at a slower spin rate. The eQ250 can generate up to 80 lbs of thrust. The Swift3 is designed for low-speed, low-power cruising at 45-55 kts with only 6.5 hp. Its range at full power is a little over 100 miles with the current battery setup.
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