Beehive Reveals Yearly Goal To Produce 8,000 Jet Engines

Propulsion startup company Beehive Industries has revealed a goal to produce up to 8,000 jet engines for drones and uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) per year.

The maker of the 200-lb.-thrust Frenzy 8 turbojet revealed the goal on June 30 while announcing the acquisition of two Cincinnati machining shops: Able Tool and Planet Products.

The acquisitions follow a purchase by Beehive in May of 30 EOS machines, the single-largest publicly disclosed order for the 3D printers.

“This is a move for scale,” said Darius Ehteshami, chief operations and finance officer at Beehive Industries. “Frenzy is entering full-rate production, and our customers need engines now.”

Although Beehive has yet to reveal a platform powered by the Frenzy 8, the U.S. Air Force has contracted with the company to produce engines under the Small Expendable Turbine program.

The Frenzy 8 is being developed as the Air Force develops the Family of Affordable Mass Munitions, which include air- and ground-launched variants of low-cost cruise missiles cheap enough to produce in the thousands per year. The U.S. military plans to buy 27,000 such weapons through fiscal 2031, budget justification documents released in April show.

Since last year, Beehive has tested the Frenzy 8 engine in ground and high-altitude testing.

Beehive has also revealed a 1,000-lb.-thrust turbofan engine called Rampart.