Whisper Aero, Tenessee Tech Granted USD500,000 TNGO Award “to Advance Development and Testing of Whisper Ultralight Aircraft”
U.S‑based Whisper Aero and Tennessee Tech have been granted a USD500,000 TNGO (Transportation Network Growth Opportunity) award by TNECD (Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development) to advance the progress and testing of the Whisper Ultralight, a single seat powered glider capable of UltraQuiet™ flights, reports a press release.
The release explains, “The Tennessee Tech faculty and four students will support ground testing, ensuring the safe integration of engines, batteries and controllers before flight.”
It continues, “Bringing together industry, academia and government, it lays the groundwork for a future where regional flights aboard electrified aircraft are possible from more than 70 airports in the Volunteer State.”
Mark Moore, CEO of Whisper Aero commented, “This project will help position Tennessee as a leader in mobility innovation and highlights the power of state partnerships in advancing transformative technologies.”
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The news was well received on Linkedin.
A Dominick Dingus remarked, “This is an awesome opportunity! I am excited for the future of aviation and defence with the works of Whisper Aero and their partners!” And AVE added, “Nice … Ultra light is the way forward.”
The release states, “The Whisper aircraft is a retrofit of an Aériane Swift3 glider with two of Whisper’s eQ250 propulsors, capable of 80 lb each. The Ultralight has a wingspan of over 40 ft with a maximum L/D of 35:1 and can be stressed to a design loading of +6/-4g.”
And goes on, “The zero control surface deflection trim speed is now 45 mph, equal to the best glide speed. The retrofitted Swift3 glider is designed for a low speed, low power cruise speed of 42–55 knots so that cruise power required is only 6.5 hp. Power-off glides from a few hundred feet showed a low sink rate. The powered version has a climb rate of 1,250 ft/min for self-launching capability.”
Mark Moore
To make this a reality, Whisper is teaming up with Steve Morris, the designer of the Aériane Swift3 glider and Brian Porter, a championship SWIFT and test pilot for this program.
The release adds, “Battery modules from Electric Power Systems (EPS) will power the glider for demonstration flights. With EPS EPiC 1.0 power batteries, the powered-on flight range is 109 miles. Whisper previously demonstrated its propulsors operating with Electric Power Systems’ EPiC 1.0 batteries live at UP. Summit 2024. EPiC 2.0 energy batteries would boost the range to 170 miles.”
Nathan Millecam, CEO of Electric Power System, said, “EPiC 2.0’s leap in energy density and thermal performance has enabled a significant increase in range, a clear validation of our next-gen cell technology. We are impressed by what the Whisper team continues to achieve in advancing electric aviation.”
Two additional technologies that may be trialled in subsequent flight test phases are a small micro-turbine that provides range extension to 400 miles or 10 hours of endurance, as well as an embedded propulsor that enables gliding or thermaling with no extra propulsion drag.
The release concludes, “Flight testing is expected to show that the powered glider can be flown a few hundred feet away from neighbourhoods without any disturbances, while carrying a 220 lb payload with full range. Early flight tests will be conducted in more remote areas initially to establish this capability.”
Nathan Millecam
The Whisper Ultralight also opens the door to new U.S DOD opportunities. Earlier this year, Whisper successfully tested the propulsors it is retrofitting on its glider statically at White Sands Missile Range’s Acoustic Range Complex.
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(Top image: Whisper Aero Ultra Light)
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