On Monday, XTI Aircraft Company (XTI) officially announced it has entered into a preliminary agreement with the Aerospace division of Honeywell International. Honeywell will supply the HTS900 engine for XTI’s first prototype, a two-thirds piloted subscale of the TriFan 600 vertical takeoff airplane. This announcement comes just after XTI declared it will build, test and fly the subscale as its first prototype or technology demonstrator within two years from now.
The TriFan 600 is described as a six-seat aircraft that will have the speed, range and comfort of a business jet and the ability to take off and land vertically, like a helicopter. By using three ducted fans, the TriFan 600 lifts off vertically, and its two wing fans rotate forward for a seamless transition to cruise speed, at 400 miles an hour and a range of up to 1,600 miles.
XTI’s chief engineer, Dr. Dennis Olcott, stated:
“XTI selected Honeywell because the HTS900 turboshaft is the newest addition to Honeywell’s family of engines incorporating a next-generation dual-centrifugal compressor architecture. Honeywell has been powering business aviation for more than four decades, and its engines provide exceptional efficiency, reliability and performance.”
XTI stated it would build an operational propulsion jet stand, which will house the Honeywell engine, drive train system, fans and flight controls. Once these important milestones are reached, XTI will complete development of the two-thirds piloted flying prototype. Honeywell reportedly will also provide an additional engine for use in XTI’s Ground Propulsion Test System.
Meanwhile, XTI has decided to re-launch its crowdfunding offer on StartEngine altering the offer and stating it has accelerated its development schedule with a plan to fly a 10% scale model after it receives its next $1.2 million financing round. The company will then bump up to a 2/3 scale “piloted prototype” two years following an additional funding round. It also stated it had signed an agreement with Scion Aviation (Scion) and Scion UAS (SUAS) for prototype development.
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