The skies may soon be cleaner — and quieter — thanks to a bold new electric jet project. Ultralight aircraft company Whisper Aero was recently awarded a $500,000 grant to help fund testing of the company's electric jet motor concept.
As Electrek reported, Whisper Aero's awarded project involves outfitting an existing Aériane Swift3 glider with two of the company's eQ250 electric propulsors, responsible for what the company calls UltraQuiet WhisperDrive. These innovative propulsors feature numerous stiff composite blades housed within acoustically treated ducts, allowing for higher air flow at lower rotational speeds.
This means the "blade passage frequency" is above 16,000 Hertz — beyond the range of human hearing. Basically, the result is a quieter operation compared to traditional airplane propulsors, so quiet that humans can't hear it.
The aviation company says its propulsors are 20 decibels quieter and 20% more efficient than "comparable quiet propulsion systems."
According to Electrek, the modified glider is expected to have a cruising speed of 45 to 55 knots — about 52 to 64 miles per hour — and a climb rate of 1,250 feet per minute. It has an expected range of approximately 109 miles with current battery technology, though that could expand to 170 miles when outfitted with a more efficient battery.
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development awarded the grant to both the aviation company and Tennessee Tech University, which will flight test the company's prototype. The grant is part of the TNECD's Transportation Network Growth Opportunity initiative.
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Tennessee Tech students and faculty will conduct ground testing to ensure the safe integration of the propulsion system, batteries, and controllers. This initiative also marks the launch of Tennessee Tech's new Crossville Mobility Incubator, aimed at supporting innovation in electric aviation.
The upcoming flight tests are anticipated to demonstrate that the Whisper Aero glider can operate within a few hundred feet of residential areas without causing any disturbances, even while carrying a 220-pound payload.
This funding and upcoming testing mark an important step toward quieter, more sustainable air travel. Electric aircraft are poised to revolutionize air travel with cleaner, more planet-minded operations. And making them quieter is just another way to decrease pollution — noise pollution, that is.
Noise pollution — from aviation, traffic, construction, and more — has been linked to a range of health issues, including hearing loss, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and even developmental delays in children. This type of pollution can also raise the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. And that's just the start. Quieter aircraft could help reduce these impacts, especially in communities near airports or busy flight paths.
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