Beehive Industries hits rapid milestones with Frenzy engine testing under U.S. Air Force contract

Beehive Industries, an American manufacturer of advanced propulsion systems for uncrewed aerial defense applications, announced today significant strides in the development and testing of its 200 lbf Frenzy engine. Building on a $12.46 million contract awarded in October 2024 by the U.S. Air Force in collaboration with the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) and following the formal introduction of the Frenzy engine in December 2024, Beehive has achieved extraordinary milestones.

The company has accelerated the development process, moving from the finalization of production requirements to First Engine to Test (FETT) in an impressive five months. Since then, Beehive has tested a new engine every six weeks, demonstrating the power of its additively-enabled manufacturing approach.

This rapid pace has resulted in the successful testing of four individual Frenzy engines in just six months. This unprecedented speed highlights Beehive’s ability to compress traditional development timelines from years to months, a feat made possible by its innovative design and production techniques. The testing program, conducted across Beehive’s Denver, Cincinnati, and Knoxville facilities, has adhered strictly to the original program plan with all four engines beginning their tests on schedule. This consistency underscores the company’s reliable say/do culture and its commitment to delivering results.

The Frenzy engines, ranging from five to eight inches in diameter and delivering 100 to 300 lbf, have successfully completed a comprehensive testing regimen, including performance and operability validation, durability validation, and environmental stress testing. Far from being mere demonstrations, these engines have already met or exceeded all product requirements. Each engine individually surpassed better-than-target power, better-than-target Specific Fuel Consumption (SFC), and more than a full mission of operational durability, while collectively accumulating more than 20 hours of runtime.

These results not only validate Beehive’s bold performance claims but also position the Frenzy engine as a game-changer for UAV applications, where cost, efficiency, and reliability are critical.

“Beehive’s rapid advancement with the Frenzy engine family is a testament to our team’s expertise and the transformative potential of additive manufacturing,” said Gordie Follin, Chief Product Officer. “These test results exceed our expectations and reinforce our mission to provide the U.S. military with affordable, high-performance propulsion systems that can be deployed at scale. We’re proud to collaborate with UDRI and the U.S. Air Force to push the boundaries of aerospace innovation.”

The next phase of Frenzy development involves altitude testing. Beehive’s altitude test engine has completed acceptance testing and will soon ship to the test facility. These tests are scheduled to commence in the fourth quarter of 2025, setting the stage for flight testing early in 2026.

The success of this program builds on Beehive’s earlier achievements, including its 500 lbf engine testing in 2024, and aligns with the company’s strategy to develop a family of engines ranging from 80 to 5,000 lbf. The Frenzy engines, designed for immediate useability after long-term storage of over 10 years, are poised to revolutionize UAV operations by offering class-leading efficiency at a fraction of the cost of traditionally manufactured engines.