XTI Aerospace has selected three partners to help it to design, develop and manufacture the the powertrain for its TriFan 600 VTOL aircraft. An announcement made on May 22 confirmed that Triumph Geared Solutions, Formsprag Clutch and Kamatics Corporation have joined the program as per a previous commitment to reach this milestone during the second quarter of 2025.
Triumph Geared Solutions will be responsible for the primary and secondary gearboxes that will manage power distribution across the TriFan 600’s propulsion system. Formsprag will provide the clutch for the drive train and Kamatics will design and manufacture the shafts that will connect the as-yet-unspecified pair of turboshaft engines to the aircraft’s three ducted fans.
The partnerships were confirmed after a two-day summit this week aimed at accelerating development of the TriFan 600 powertrain. Engineers from the companies discussed fault tolertant configurations for the drivetrain, thermal management and lubrication systems, advanced materials for lightweight design, and how the systems will be integrated.
Earlier this month, Colorado-based XTI reported that it is exploring options to use VerdeGo Aero’s hybrid-electric propulsion systems for later versions of the TriFan 600. The collaboration could also include new uncrewed aircraft systems for military and civil applications.
In March, the company said the FAA has begun the G-1 issue paper process to establish the basis for type certification of the TriFan 600. It is preparing a subscale working model of the aircraft, but has not said when this will be ready for flight testing.
XTI is also not currently stating when it aims to complete type certification of the aircraft, which it views as an alternative to helicopters and business jets. It is projecting range of up to around 857 nm.