Trek Aerospace SoloTrek XFV (prototype)

(Photo credit: Trek Aerospace)

SoloTrek XFV (prototype)
Trek Aerospace, Inc.
Folsom, California, USA
www.trekaero.com

Trek Aerospace, Inc. is a small engineering company based in Folsom, California, USA. Founded on March 18, 1996 as “Millennium Jet, Inc.”, the company changed their name to Trek Aerospace on July 3, 2002 because people thought that the company was building jets. The company is dedicated to understanding and improving shrouded propeller performance and efficiency. In the process, they developed their own proprietary CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) software, TASPA (Trek Aerospace Shrouded Propeller Analysis).

The company has stated all of their aircraft designs are very flexible when it comes to scalability, electric motors used, propeller types and the type of power source used. That is, all previous conventionally powered aircraft the company has created can be converted to eVTOL aircraft and can be updated with the latest in avionics, electronics, propellers and electric (all batteries or hybrid-electric) power sources. All of the company's aircraft have been designed for advanced air mobility (AAM).

The company has designed and made multiple vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft including its exoskeleton backpack "helicopters" using shrouded propellers in the airframe design. Some articles refer to the exoskeleton backpack helicopter as a jetpack, even though there are no jet engines involved in the backpack aircraft. The company has also designed and made watercraft. Trek Aerospace also assists and teams with other companies, large and small, in the design, fabrication, and licensing of projects involving shrouded propellers and/or autonomous control systems. For example, Trek Aerospace built XTI Aircraft Company's TriFan subscale Proof of Concept aircraft.

Trek Aerospace Shrouded Propeller Analysis
Testing at NASA and university wind tunnels has validated the accuracy Trek Aerospace Shrouded Propeller Analysis (TASPA). Flight testing of both crewed and uncrewed vehicles has further verified the real-world applications of Trek’s technology. The company states their core technology has the highest specific thrust (lb/kw) in the industry. Aircraft designed by Trek define the efficiency curve used in the UBER Elevate white paper.

This efficiency allows aircraft to carry more weight in a smaller footprint. According to the company, their shrouded propellers require less power, use fewer batteries than other battery powered aircraft, have a greater payload and have a farther range. Furthermore, the company states their shrouded propellers have outperformed similar free propellers to airspeeds in excess of 200 knots, negating much of the drag penalty associated with ducts.

SoloTrek XFV one passenger VTOL prototype aircraft
The SoloTrek XFV (eXo-skeletal Flying Vehicle) is a one passenger VTOL prototype aircraft. The first flight of the aircraft took place on December 18, 2001. The SoloTrek traveled only a few meters during its first test flight and was airborne for only 19 seconds but inventor Michael Moshier said this was still a significant step forward. The company was originally located in Sunnyvale, California, USA where the test flight took place. At the time, the company was named Millennium Jet, Inc. and then to Trek Aerospace.

The aircraft had a fly-by-wire computer-based pilot control system. Digital control was crucial to provide split-second responses required to dampen vehicle oscillations which tended to get worse when pilot-only control was applied. The pilot's controls are two joysticks, one joystick is for direction and the other joystick is used to gain or lower the altitude. Each ducted propeller can tilt individually to control pitch and yaw. The aircraft has two shoulder straps and a waist strap to secure the pilot to the fuselage. Two foot rests are located on the aircraft's fixed tricycle wheeled landing gear. The company considers the aircraft a backpack helicopter. 

The aircraft had two ducted counter-rotating propellers, drive shafts and gear boxes that turned the propellers and was powered by a rotary gasoline engine. Counter-rotating the blades eliminates the torque of the variable pitch blades. However, the company has stated this aircraft could easily be converted to an all battery VTOL powered aircraft or a hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft. By retrofitting the aircraft with new eVTOL technologies that exist today (as of 2026), the aircraft would become lighter, safer, more stable, more flight worthy and be a more eco-friendly aircraft.

At the time, the company was successful in receiving over $5 million of development funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), USA. The project was in part funded by the US Defense Department and was tested with the help of NASA’s Ames Research Center in California. NASA has developed a computer simulation that allows the machine to be tested virtually and has also performed wind tunnel tests.

A version of the aircraft was featured in the movie, "Agent Cody Banks". However, flying sequences were done using special effects, only. 

The company expected the military to use the aircraft for reconnaissance, search and rescue and urban operations. For civilian use, the company expected the aircraft to be used for building maintenance, power lines and personal transportation.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: One passenger exo-skeletal VTOL aircraft
• Piloting: 1 pilot, two joysticks with a stability augmentation system
• Cruise speed: 60 mph (97 km/h)
• Maximum speed: 75 mph (120 km/h)
• Range: 120 m (193 km)
• Maximum range: 155 m (250 km)
• Flight time: 2 hours
• Propellers: 2 propellers
• Power source: Gasoline engine. However, this aircraft can be converted easily to an all battery power source or a hybrid-electric power source. All new avionics, electronics, propellers can easily be added to this aircraft.
• Fuselage: Aircraft aluminum
• Landing gear: Fixed tricycle wheeled landing gear
• Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP), provides safety through redundancy for its passengers and/or cargo. DEP means having multiple propellers (or ducted fans) and motors on the aircraft so if one or more propellers (ducted fans) or motors fail, the other working propellers (or ducted fans) and motors can safely land the aircraft. There are also redundancies in the sub-systems of the aircraft.

Related Aircraft:

• Trek Aerospace Dragonfly (prototype)
• Trek Aerospace DuoTrek 1.0 (concept design)
• Trek Aerospace DuoTrek 2.0 (concept design)
• Trek Aerospace Elesi (concept design)
• Trek Aerospace FlyKart 1 (prototype)
• Trek Aerospace FlyKart 2 (prototype)
• Trek Aerospace FlyKart 3 (prototype)
• Trek Aerospace LogDrone (concept design)
• Trek Aerospace Mule (concept design)
• Trek Aerospace Nightingale (concept design)
• Trek Aerospace Nytngale (concept design)
• Trek Aerospace OAV-II (concept design)
• Trek Aerospace OVIWUN (production model)
• Trek Aerospace Scorpion (concept design)
• Trek Aerospace SoloTrek Springtail (prototype)
• Trek Aerospace SoloTrek XFVC (concept design)
• Trek Aerospace SoloTrek XFVM (concept design)
• Trek Aerospace Tern (concept design)
• Trek Aerospace Tyrannos (concept design)

Company Insights:

• Crunchbase

Resources:

• Trek Aerospace website
• Trek Aerospace Twitter
• Trek Aerospace LinkedIn
• Trek Aerospace Wikipedia
• SoloTrek XFV Wikipedia
• Agent Cody Banks (movie) Wikipedia
• Agent Cody Banks (movie) IMBD
• Article: Personal helicopter gets off the ground, New Scientist, Jan. 15, 2002
• Article: SoloTrek XFV, Alchetron, Apr. 29, 2018