Venus Aerospace has reported successfully testing its rotating detonation engine on a small drone over the United States. Conducted on February 24, the drone flew at subsonic speed for over 10 miles , proving the technology.RDEs offer high thermodynamic efficiencies and compact design, making them promising for propulsion and energy systems in the future. For this reason, various nations are working hard to develop them.recently reported having developed one that could, in theory, reach Mach 16.
The drone was dropped from an Aero L-29 Delfín aircraft. This engine did not undergo full thrust during testing due to the limitations of the unspecified test range in the United States., Venus is confident it could combine its RDE tech with air-breathing technology. This involves using the engine’s forward motion to ingest air for combustion, resulting in a rocket-based combined cycle engine.