VerdeGo Hybrid-electric VTOL Study Awarded NASA Contract

VerdeGo Aero’s ongoing work hybridizing an electrified rotorcraft has been awarded a Phase II contract under NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) fund. This follows the conclusion of Phase I, during which the hybrid powerplant systems developer successfully integrated its propulsion systems into an experimental Hummingbird 300L helicopter derivative.

Unlike NASA SBIR Phase I contracts, which run for six months with a maximum funding of $150,000, Phase II has a performance period of up to 24 months with a maximum funding of $840,000. The new contract was announced on November 4.

The initial stage of the collaboration saw VerdeGo focus on “the conceptual application and integration of [its] VH-3 piston hybrid-electric powerplant in four hybrid aircraft designs,” explained the company. It also modified a traditionally-powered rotorcraft into a hybrid-electric test aircraft, nicknamed ‘Speedbird’. 

According to VerdeGo CEO Eric Bartsch, leveraging an existing airframe design allows the project to "showcase the performance advantages of [VerdeGo’s] technology in an industry-neutral concept.” He said this approach also minimizes costs compared to a clean-sheet aircraft.

This experimental platform combines a Hummingbird 300L airframe with an additional V-tail, while new fixed wings each incorporate two wing-mounted distributed electric propulsion propellors. VerdeGo says that “the use of an electric motor to drive the [main] rotor enables slowed-rotor operation, reducing in-flight power demand and allowing Speedbird to achieve cruise speeds faster than a conventional helicopter.”

Although this modified aircraft could feasibly enter production, VerdeGo acknowledges the primary objective of the platform has been to demonstrate the operational advantages of its setup. A key onward area of study will be the high-voltage bus architecture, with Phase II also focusing on the VH-4T turbine-electric powerplant variant. VerdeGo says it is working with “multiple eVTOL airframe developers” to integrate the VH-4T into their aircraft, with crewed and uncrewed flight tests expected to begin in the latter half of 2026.

Last month, VerdeGo Aero announced that it had achieved a perfect score in a Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Level 2 assessment. The process was conducted by an independent Certified Third-Party Assessor Organization and is intended to provide reassurance to customers and partners in the defense sector. The certification will take effect from November 10, ensure protection of Controlled Unclassified Information as designated by the U.S. Department of War.