Jetoptera is progressing with the development of the turbocompressor/turbofan that will power the J-500. The effort has successfully passed the Critical Design Review and is now followed by manufacturing of the prototype compressor with a first demonstration target of first quarter of 2025. The turbocompressor for the J-500 is jet fuel powered. Jetoptera is working with Parametric Solutions Inc. for the design and manufacturing of the system.

“While our system is completely energy agnostic, we are not waiting for a magic battery that may never arrive,” says Andrei Evulet, CEO of Jetoptera. “All electric large model aircraft can be used to gather important flight data. There’s no point in pursuing large models with VTOL propulsion battery beyond research stage - there’s a minuscule market for the very limited range and at best, an eVTOL would at this point be a sub-mediocre helicopter. What we are trying to do here is to give the rotary wing a run for its money and that means a gas turbine powered by jet fuel, SAF and potentially hydrogen in the future.”

The current turbocompressor developed by Jetoptera can also be deployed on a variety of platforms that the company has explored previously from 200-1000 lbm MTOW including Powered Parafoils, V/STOL, HSVTOL, CTOL, Portable Personal Air Mobility VTOL Systems and Wing in Ground Effect vehicles. The turbocompressor weighs less than 70 lbs and it is capable of producing 250 lbf operating as turbofan and can be augmented when used with the FPS™ to up to 500 lbf, when operated as a turbocompressor, for vertical flight.