Army Lab Flies Drone With 3D-Printed Jet-Fuel Engine
The U.S. Army Research Laboratory tested a mid-sized drone powered by a 3D-printed rotary engine that runs on jet fuel.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Robotics
The U.S. Army Research Laboratory flew VICTOR, a mid-sized drone powered by a 3D-printed rotary engine that burns jet fuel. The engine drives a generator in a series-hybrid system.
Why it matters
Most small and mid-sized drone engines are designed for gasoline, which requires units to carry a separate fuel supply. An engine that runs on the same heavy fuel used by Army vehicles and helicopters could simplify logistics.
The VICTOR prototype is a Group 3 unmanned aircraft weighing up to about 600 kg (1,320 pounds), paired with an air-cooled rotary engine and a new 400-volt motor-generator. The flight test date and performance figures beyond these specifications were not disclosed.
The players
U.S. Army Research Laboratory
The Army's central research organization, which develops advanced technologies for soldiers and conducted the drone flight test and the Versatile Tactical Power and Propulsion program.
Griffon Aerospace
An Alabama-based aerospace company and industry partner that helped develop the VICTOR vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and whose Valiant was a finalist in the Army's Future Tactical Uncrewed Aircraft System competition.
The details
The rotary engine was designed from scratch using computer modeling of fuel flow to improve spray and vaporization, and its components were rapidly redesigned using advanced manufacturing including 3D metal printing. The work was conducted under the Versatile Tactical Power and Propulsion program, which involved more than 30 universities, more than 13 federal laboratories and more than 20 companies.
Timeline
The date of the drone flight was not disclosed.
The Tech Race
The VICTOR drone builds on Griffon Aerospace's Valiant, one of two finalists in the Army's Future Tactical Uncrewed Aircraft System competition. The propulsion work moves the Army's unmanned tactical aircraft effort toward engines that burn the same heavy fuel as its ground vehicles and helicopters.
For the military, a single fuel type for drones, vehicles and helicopters could reduce the need to carry separate gasoline supplies in the field. Commercial drone makers may also find value in engines that avoid dedicated gasoline logistics.
The takeaway
Simplifying fuel logistics across drones and ground vehicles can lighten the supply burden on forces in the field. Propulsion designs like this one show how additive manufacturing is speeding up engine development.
Further reading
Explore more robotics news to see how unmanned aircraft are being developed across the military and industry.
