Speed has always carried a certain allure, yet few shifts in aviation feel as momentous as the one emerging between the UK’s Helix and California’s Astro Mechanica. Their partnership aims to revive the spirit of supersonic travel, but with a modern twist—greater efficiency, lower cost, and the promise of long-range flight at unprecedented speed.
At the center is Duality™, Astro Mechanica’s adaptive engine. It blends hybrid-electric architecture with a shape-shifting personality. In its current prototype, four Helix SPX242-94 motors power a two-stage compressor. Each produces 400kW at peak output and weighs just 31.3 kilograms. It’s an extraordinary ratio, even by the standards of Formula E or the hypercar world where Helix has long made its mark.
Duality™ separates the propulsion unit from the turboshaft core, allowing electricity to manage the transitions between speed regimes. A gas turbine generates power through two Helix motors, which then feed four more motors in the propulsor. This structure lets the engine act like a turbofan at subsonic speeds, shift into a turbojet as it approaches Mach, and operate as a ramjet past Mach 3. The result is a system that adapts to every stage of flight while reducing fuel burn, the greatest cost in supersonic travel.
Paired with Astro Mechanica’s advanced airframe, the engine is designed for long-range missions. The company sees use cases in defense, orbital launch support, cargo, and eventually passenger travel. Testing is underway on the fourth-generation prototype, with a first flight expected within three years. The long-term goal is even bolder: to make supersonic trips as accessible as a premium airline seat within a decade.
Helix is already developing motors for the next full-scale engine. These units will deliver 900kW of continuous power and reach peaks of 950kW at up to 20,000rpm. Each weighs only 61.5 kilograms, yet is built to handle the extreme conditions of high-altitude flight. Their efficiency and durability are critical to making Duality™ viable on a commercial scale.
Derek Jordanou-Bailey, Helix’s Aerospace Chief Engineer, sees this partnership as a natural next step. For decades, Helix has pushed the limits of electric powertrains—from Formula E to hypercars like the Aston Martin Valkyrie and Czinger 21C. Supersonic propulsion, he believes, is simply the next frontier.
Astro Mechanica wants to bring back the romance of fast travel, but in a way that fits the modern world. If Duality™ succeeds, flights that span oceans could take mere hours. The technology may even redefine expectations around distance and time.
The aviation industry is in a period of reinvention. Against that backdrop, the work between Helix and Astro Mechanica stands out. It blends ambition with technical precision and hints at a future where flying at Mach 3 feels less like science fiction and more like the new standard for those who seek the extraordinary.
This story originally appeared on Upscalelivingmag
