Beehive Industries Tests 3D-Printed Jet Engine for Unmanned Aircraft Systems

U.S.-based Beehive Industries has reported significant progress in testing its additively manufactured Frenzy jet engine as part of a research and development program with the U.S. Air Force and the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI). The compact engine, which delivers approximately 200 lbf of thrust, was unveiled in December 2024 and is designed to power unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for defense applications.

The development timeline was remarkably fast — only five months elapsed between defining production requirements and the first engine test. Since then, a new engine has been built and tested every six weeks. In total, four Frenzy prototypes have undergone a complete testing cycle within six months, including performance validation, endurance trials, and environmental testing. The tests took place across facilities in Denver, Cincinnati, and Knoxville, with all project milestones reportedly met on schedule.

The engines, with diameters ranging from five to eight inches, exceeded their planned thrust and efficiency targets and demonstrated above-average operational durability. Collectively, they logged over 20 hours of runtime under near-real-world conditions. According to Beehive, these results highlight the advantages of additive manufacturing in turbomachinery — notably shorter development cycles, greater design flexibility, and rapid production scalability.

“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 step in the program involves altitude testing, scheduled to begin in Q4 2025, followed by flight tests in 2026 to prepare the Frenzy engine family for operational deployment in tactical UAV platforms.