Beehive Industries, a manufacturing company specializing in jet propulsion systems for unmanned air defense, has been awarded a .46 million contract to work with the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) and the Air Force Rapid Sustainment Office at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
Beehive Industries successfully tested a 500-pound thrust actuator earlier this year and now aims to develop a family of actuators in the 100- to 5,000-pound thrust range for applications such as drones and collaborative combat aircraft. This new contract will allow the company to translate the knowledge gained into the development of low-cost, high-performance propulsion systems for the military.
“Beehive is excited to have this opportunity to bring its capabilities to bear on the affordable mass challenge for the US military in collaboration with the University of Dayton Research Institute”, said Gordie Follin, Chief Product Officer for the company. “Our state-of-the-art additive manufacturing approach opens up new possibilities to radically alter the traditional relationships between cost, performance, and scalability while delivering high performance engines purpose built for their applications.”
Beehive Industries, based in the USA and with over 200 employees, specializes in the development of propulsion systems for unmanned aerial vehicles and the production of high-tech parts. The collaboration with the University of Dayton Research Institute, known for its innovation-driven research, supports the development of high-performance systems designed to serve the needs of modern defense technology.
“This partnership will not only propel the Air Force but the additive industry as a whole, and we are proud to be a major part of it!”, Brian Stitt, Division Head for Sustainment Technologies Transition at UDRI, said.
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