ABSTRACT
Jetoptera is an aviation startup with a revolutionary propulsion system to be deployed in unmanned and manned aircraft. A modified gas turbine provides distributed propulsion with lower exhaust speed, noise, and temperature compared to a jet engine. Swiveling thrusters are strategically disposed around a novel airframe design to augment thrust and lift. This results in aircraft with a unique capability profile: vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), speeds of 200 mph, payloads of 5 – 1,000 lbs, range of 50 – 400 miles, and high maneuverability. A full scale prototype was recently successfully tested in the wind tunnel. This talk broadly describes the technology and some of the challenges involved in bringing it to market.