UK startup Greenjets releases jet engine for (pro) drone users

Drone enthusiasts who dream of one day piloting their craft using the speed and efficiency of jet engine tech take heart – UK startup Greenjets has released a solution striving to turn that ambition into reality.

This week Bedfordshire-based Greenjets introduced its electric jet engine propulsor for what initially will be drone manufacturers and specialized enterprise clients. Dubbed the IPM5, the engine looks like something you’d expect to see hanging from the underside of a passenger plane, though under current Greenjets’ design, the unit sits atop hosting drones.

The IPM5 jet engine weighs in at a mere 750g (1.6 lb.) and provides a maximum thrust of 5kgf/11 lbf with an efficiency of 360W/kgf. Designed for drone propulsion and currently listed on the Greenjets site as “shipping now,” the product is slated to be followed up by IPM50 and IPM500 versions targeting larger, possibly passenger-carrying craft.

But in addition to bringing jet engine propulsion to drones, the 2022-founded startup is also looking to solve a few outstanding problems of propeller flight that craft manufacturers have yet to resolve.

For starters, the IPM5 is engineered using a ducted fan architecture, which offers reduced noise levels compared to whirring rotors. Meantime, that encased configuration provides increased safety compared to exposed-blade options. Both of those advantages are marketed as facilitating operation and acceptance of IPM5-powered drone in urban settings.

Read: Fusion Flight’s jet-powered drone produces 200 horsepower

Greenjets – whose staff has experience with jet engine mainstays like Rolls Royce – says it is continuing work on several of its patented features that resolve weight and efficiency challenges traditionally faced by ducted fans. 

Over time it’s expecting to market jet propulsors for next-generation air taxis and other advance air mobility aircraft, as well as to drone manufacturers and operators. 

In addition to standard versions of its solutions, Greenjets is also offering tailored configurations to meet individual customer demands.

‘‘We have a very different business model,” said Greenjets CTO Guido Monterzino. “Unlike our rivals who only offer off-the-shelf products, Greenjets can… quickly create bespoke engines that match (our) customers’ precise requirements for weight and thrust, thanks to our proprietary design systems and manufacturing methods.’’