UK electric-machine and inverter developer pursuing aerospace qualification while validating high-power motors, geared propulsion units and hybrid-electric generator hardware.
Propulsion Architecture
High-speed permanent-magnet radial-flux motors and matched inverters, plus geared electric propulsion units that trade transmission complexity for smaller, faster electric machines. Helix also supplies generator-machine hardware for series-hybrid architectures.
Primary Certification Context
Supplier / Component
Strengths
Helix received AS9100 quality-management certification in January 2026. Its published SPX177 family reaches 250 kW peak and 213 kW continuous in an 18 kg variant. In 2026 Helix and Zoerkler reported validating a geared aviation EPU rated at 250 kW continuous and 400 kW peak, while a RED Aircraft series-hybrid generator uses a 21.7 kg Helix machine rated by the supplier at 420 kW peak and 327 kW continuous.
Primary sources: Helix AS9100; Helix/Zoerkler EPU.
Weaknesses / Open Questions
AS9100 is a quality-management certification, not a propulsion type certificate. Helix describes Part 21 approval as a future step. Its headline power-density and geared-EPU figures are supplier-reported subsystem results; certified aircraft installation, durability and failure-case evidence remain the more consequential maturity tests.
Last Updated
September 15, 2026
