USAF funds final development of Beehive Industries' Frenzy 8 engine

A photo showing the evolution of Beehive Industries' Frenzy 8 engine, from first engine to test at left to a flight-ready production unit at the far right. (Beehive Industries)

Beehive Industries has received US Air Force (USAF) funding to complete development of its additively manufactured 200-lb thrust Frenzy 8 engine.

The USD29.7 million contract will “complete vehicle integration, flight testing, and qualification” of the Frenzy 8, according to a company statement on 9 April. It also funds further development of the 100-lb thrust Frenzy 6 engine, covering the production of a first engine to test (FETT) asset with “options for further testing, vehicle integration, and flight demonstration”.

The deal “supports a Small Expendable Turbine (SET) – Family of Affordable Mass Munitions (FAMM) prototyping effort led by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC)”, the statement added.

The SET programme is part of a broader USAF strategy to “develop, produce, and qualify low-cost, disposable jet engines for uncrewed aerial systems and standoff systems”, the statement noted.

Beehive Industries has validated the Frenzy 8 engine over the last year through ground and high-altitude testing while demonstrating scalability, the company said.

Flight testing

The USAF contract follows a University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) contract that funded ground and altitude testing of the Frenzy 8 and will take the engine through the rest of flight qualification, Gordie Follin, chief product officer for Beehive Industries, told Janes on 20 April at the Navy League's Sea-Air-Space exhibition in National Harbor, Maryland.