About Portal Aircraft Company

Portal Aircraft Company (PAC) is a Texas-based aerospace startup developing next-generation gas turbine–powered VTOL aircraft for defense and commercial markets. PAC’s patented distributed turbine architecture replaces complex helicopter drivetrains and battery-dependent eVTOL systems with a simplified, fuel-powered design optimized for long endurance, rugged field sustainment, and contested environments.

PAC aircraft are designed for missions including contested logistics, long-range ISR, launched effects support, and austere operations where battery-electric systems fail due to range, recharge constraints, and infrastructure dependence.

The company has been validated by winning Army xTechSearch 9 (24 winners selected from 840+ applicants), achieving DARPA ERIS “Awardable” status, securing a Phase I SBIR contract, and forming a partnership with Texas A&M University for engineering and manufacturing support.

PAC is building scalable turbine-powered VTOL platforms designed to deliver long endurance, field repairability, and mission flexibility at venture scale.

Tagged with

Aerospace Defense & Military Manufacturing Autonomous Vehicles (AVs)

Team

James Thurman

Founder

Problem statement

Modern VTOL aircraft fall into two flawed categories:

Conventional helicopters – mechanically complex, maintenance-heavy, and expensive to operate

Battery-electric eVTOL aircraft – range-limited, infrastructure-dependent, and economically unproven

Defense operators and logistics missions increasingly require long-endurance VTOL aircraft capable of operating in austere, contested, and infrastructure-denied environments. Battery-powered systems lack endurance and recharge speed, while helicopters remain costly and mechanically intensive.

There is currently no scalable, fuel-powered VTOL platform optimized for long-range operations, simplified sustainment, and additive-manufactured field repairability.

Portal Aircraft Company addresses this gap with a turbine-based architecture purpose-built for endurance, ruggedness, and operational flexibility.

Traction information

• Army xTechSearch 9 Winner (24 selected from 840+ applicants)
• Phase I SBIR Contract (U.S. Army)
• DARPA ERIS “Awardable” Status
• Formal partnership with Texas A&M University
• Included in U.S. Army UAS contractor ecosystem planning
• Patented distributed turbine VTOL architecture (filed Feb 2025)
• Functional flying pneumatic prototype demonstrating core control architecture
• Preparing for DARPA LIFT Challenge 2026