Helix electric motors promise a Mach 3 future, at least on paper
Helix and Astro Mechanica speak confidently about a leap into an era where a hybrid turboelectric engine might finally break the economic curse of supersonic flight. Whether DualityTM turns out to be a breakthrough or another slice of startup driven techno-utopia is something the near future will reveal.
The British motor specialist Helix is supplying its hardware for Astro Mechanica’s new combined cycle engine, which aims to give supersonic aircraft a sensible operating cost. DualityTM is designed to mimic a turbofan, a turbojet and a ramjet depending on speed, a concept that reads like an engineering Swiss Army knife whose usefulness will only become clear once it runs in the real world.
For now the Astro Mechanica prototype relies on four Helix SPX242-94 electric motors. Each produces 400 kW of peak output and 470 Nm of torque while weighing only 31.3 kilograms. The figures are impressive, although it is worth remembering that these prototypes currently fly only inside spreadsheets.
Helix is already promising something far more aggressive for the next generation. The company is developing 61.5 kilogram units expected to deliver 900 kW of continuous power and operate at up to 20,000 rpm. It is a blend of generator and propulsion motor, at least in theory, although the numbers remain comfortably on the drawing board.
The startup’s strategy is ambitious. DualityTM separates the turbo core from propulsion, using a gas turbine to generate electricity which is distributed to four Helix motors that run the fan and compressor. The idea is to build a hybrid powertrain flexible enough to feel at home at any speed up to Mach 3 plus. In practice the concept still sits between test rigs and computer simulations.
Astro Mechanica says its fourth generation prototype is already in trials and that a first flight within three years is not a fantasy. Aviation has heard such promises before, usually followed by a take off delayed by several figurative kilometres. The longer term ambition, to make supersonic travel as routine as a commercial flight within ten years, sounds even more optimistic.
Helix’s role is still notable. Its motors have already proved themselves in Formula E, hypercars and several defence and marine projects. The power to weight ratio genuinely stands out. If anyone can give life to turboelectric supersonic propulsion, Helix belongs among the few credible contenders.
In the end we face a familiar scenario. Technology looks groundbreaking on paper, yet its real value emerges only when it has to wrestle with physics, the one opponent immune to PR. Helix and Astro Mechanica may indeed help bring supersonic aviation back onto the map, but until the metal leaves the ground DualityTM remains a bold promise rather than a revolution in waiting.
