Flight Frame Inc.

Flight Frame Inc. is an aerospace company in Richmond, Virginia, that develops modular, uncrewed aircraft. Its Protean Platform splits an aircraft into separate modules that can be replaced and maintained on their own, with the aim of lowering operating costs and making aircraft usable by a wider range of operators in defense, logistics and firefighting.

Products and technologies

• Protean Platform: aircraft systems divided into six module types, namely powerplant, propulsion, avionics, airframe, mission and integration
• Harpy: described by the company as the first fully modular aircraft configured and built with the Protean Platform
• The CRIB: a platform-agnostic modular backbone that standardises 28 VDC power, RS232/422/485 data, Ethernet, 1PPS and 10 MHz timing and secure signalling through MIL-STD connectors for up to eight independent payloads
• Integration and mission modules with common interfaces for third-party systems, with applications including firefighting, cargo transport and moving shipping containers on Harpy
• Dynamic Balance Control System (DBCS): a patented system that monitors flight control inputs and aircraft systems for stability, also being developed as a standalone product for other aircraft

Markets served

The company targets defense, logistics and firefighting users that need multi-mission aircraft which can be reconfigured as technology changes.

Company facts

• Based in Richmond, Virginia, USA
• CEO Benjamin Butterworth, FAA Airframe and Powerplant certificated, with 21 years of military aviation experience including the Army Special Operations Aviation Technology Office
• COO Konstantinos Fetfatsidis, previously founder of a venture-backed manufacturing startup
• Engineering team includes former Leidos and Blue Origin engineers

Contact

Email: contact@flightframe.us