About Us
What do we do...
Hummingbird Gas Turbines is a student research group founded in 2006, with the aim of enabling students to complete semester and thesis projects with the support of the Chair of Turbomachinery and Flight Propulsion. We operate several test benches for experimentally investigating the performance of various small gas turbines. Historically, we have focused on research projects to improve and analyse the performance of existing engines, but as of the Winter Semester of 2025/2026, we have centralised activity around the design and development of Humo. Humo is the world's first student-built, sub-1kN twin-spool turbofan engine. As of May 2026, the thermodynamic cycle design and preliminary sizing of Humo-A, the test bench prototype has been fixed. Detailed design of turbocomponents in conjunction with the development of a structural design concept is the group's focus for the rest of 2026.
At present, nearly 20 students from various points in their studies are working towards the development of Humo-A. Our members are simultaneously developing a rapid functioning prototype of the turbojet core of Humo-A to investigate operational behaviour, and developing methods to design aerodynamically optimal flow features using an iterative pipeline of 1D, 2D and 3D design. We also have a separate group of students focused on building operational knowledge in our workshop. They are in charge of workshop safety procedures, and are our experts in running and supervising live engine tests. We are composed of a wide range of different interests and abilities, combining both the enthusiasm of those early in their education, and the experience of those near the end.
Hummingbird Gas Turbines offers students the opportunity to bridge the gap between their lectures, which focus on understanding the operation of existing turbomachines, and an industrial setting, where gas turbines are developed from the ground up. Turbomachinery and flight propulsion is a rich and complex field, with significantly higher knowledge and financial barriers to entry. As a consequence, student groups that work in the field are comparatively rare. We provide the opportunity for students to encounter the complex technical challenges involved at an early stage. Alongside technical development, there is also a major component of project management and organisation that we encourage our members to participate in and build on, especially as the Humo project is a bigger endeavour than we have embarked on previously. The Hummingbird group is supported by experienced staff members from the Chair of Turbomachinery and Flight Propulsion.
Past Projects
This part is currently being updated, hang tight!
Humo
Our current singular project is named Humo (Hew-Moe). Humo is a student designed and built, sub-1kN twin-spool turbofan engine, developed for efficient, long range drone applications. Whilst this engine will not fly for years to come, our first test-bench prototype, Humo-A is under active development.
Humo-A is being developed as a functioning base turbofan engine, to demonstrate the capability of Hummingbird to design and build a self-sustaining engine and the viability of the micro-scale twin-spool architecture. The first engine tests will be run with the high-pressure system acting as a turbojet without the low-pressure spool installed, after which the low-pressure spool will be installed, and the full turbofan to be demonstrated as viable. The Humo-A project is said to be complete when a twin-spool engine has demonstrated design-point operation on our test bench. This will form the basis for future hummingbird projects to build on and improve for years to come.
Our vision is that our work today will form the basis for upwards of a decade of student projects dedicated to incrementally improving on the engine's design and performance, whilst building institutional knowledge within Hummingbird and LTF regarding the detailed design of small engines. The first running prototype of Humo-A is expected to be realised sometime in 2027, with an industrially competitive and optimised design perhaps taking to the skies in the following years.
In general, we are developing all parts of Humo-A from scratch, bar the combustion chamber. This will be a modified unit from an existing microturbojet. This means we need to encompass a wide range of expertises, from aerodynamic and structural engineering, to project management, systems engineering and operations coordination. Hummingbird has members with expertise ranging from 1-dimensional cycle optimisation to advanced 3D flow design and simulation.
PROJECT TIMELINE:
| October 2025 | Project Inception | Done |
| December 2025 | Design work begins | Done |
| April 2026 | 1D cycle design and design requirements fixed | Done |
| May 2026 | Preliminary sizing | Done |
| 2026 | Fast prototype component design | Future |
| 2027 | Running prototype demonstration | Future |
| 2027 | Throughflow-optimized turbocomponent design | Future |
Join Us
Interested in becoming a driving part of a highly technical and complex project? Circuit boards and electric motors not enough to satiate your interest? Submit your application at this link!
Hummingbird Gas Turbines also runs 1-2 semester or thesis projects each semester. We preferentially run these projects with members who are already a part of the group, but also regularly have project members who are new. If you are interested in completing a semester or thesis project with us, please mention this in your application, alongside if you are a Master's or Bachelor student.
For all general applicants, note that we can only accommodate a fixed number of members in our existing structure. Unfortunately, the field of gas turbine development has far more interested and qualified people than we can comfortably accommodate. In your application, please indicate in which semesters you are able to participate, so that we do not contact you after you graduate. We have a backlog of interested persons, but when a position opens up, we consider all current applications equally. We generally operate in English for maximal reach, but we are a bilingual group, and documentation and correspondence may be in German.
For any questions or inquiries, feel free to email us at info-hummingbird.ltf@ed.tum.de
Follow our team progress and updates on our LinkedIn page
Sponsors
As a student group, we depend on adequate infrastructure and reliable funding for our ongoing work. We would like to sincerely thank the Chair of Turbomachinery and Flight Propulsion, which supports us excellently both through the provision of infrastructure and through technical guidance. Financial support from student fees and faculty grants has also been, and continues to be, a great help to us.
We would also like to express our sincere thanks to those who have supported and promoted our work and activities:
We would like to thank Ansys Part of Synopsis for providing us with additional HPC licenses and access to Vista Throughflow, our 2D aerodynamic design tool.
