Taiwan’s National Cheng Kung University in Tainan successfully flew an unmanned aircraft powered by a turbojet engine last week.
The aircraft, named Sky Fortress-III, was the first university project in the world to combine a turbojet engine with an unmanned aircraft, according to Lai Wei-hsiang, professor of the southern school’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering. The department has been devoted to the development of unmanned aircraft for more than ten years. Previous aircraft built by the university were all powered by propellers.
During the trial flight Thursday morning, the speed of the 7.5-kilogram turbojet aircraft, which carried a nine kilogram payload, reached 150 kilometers per hour.
The aeronautics and astronautics research team in NCKU will put effort in integrating fields of geomatics, water conservancy, civil engineering, environmental engineering, and earth sciences in UAS innovation to facilitate not only scientific research but civilian issues like surveillance and disaster prevention, said President Hwung-Hweng Hwung of NCKU.
Professor Lai proudly initiated the debut, Sky Fortress-III remodeled from 2011 Taiwan UVA Design Competition champion Sky Fortress-II designed by NCKU UAV team and advanced from OS91 methanol engine to King Tech K80, a turbojet engine.
It weights 7.5kg with wind span in 3m performing astonishingly in the primary run at a speed of above 200km/h and expecting to reach 300km/h when the structure is further fortified.
To build a small, strong propeller driven aircraft like Sky Fortress-III, the miniaturization of the turbojet engine is the key innovation. The NCKU UAV design team with more-than-10-year experience has successfully applied the turbojet engine to the unmanned aircraft.
The engine assembled in Sky Fortress-III, King Tech K80, is a product cooperatively innovated by professor Lai and Taiwan-based KingTech-Jet Co., Ltd., with its propelled power 8kg thrust and powered with diesel or JP-8 jet fuel is favoured by UAS players around the world.
SOURCE: National Cheng Kung University