Stuttgart-based Festo claims to be inspired by nature, having deciphered bird flight with its Smart Bird. The ‘bird’ is highly aerodynamically efficient, even turning its head like real gulls do to refine aerobatic turns, and can take off and land by itself.
Category Archives: Aircraft Propulsion & Energy
Hyperion – the Hybrid Propulsion BWB-UAS
The Hyperion project at the University of Colorado is to conceive, design, integrate, and operate a 3 meter wingspan and 1.25 meter max chord flying wing airframe with a parallel hybrid propulsion system. It will be showcased at the Aerospace Engineering Department’s Design Symposium on April 15.
Iran Reveals Unmanned Flying Saucer
Iran's Unmanned Flying Tea Cup
The official Iranian news service, the Fars News Agency has announced that the Islamic Republic has built an unmanned flying saucer. Quote from the release:
Boeing & Qinetiq to Build World’s Largest Unmanned Solar Aircraft with Help from Newcastle University (UK)
Newcastle University engineers in the UK will help QinetiQ build a monster, record-breaking solar-powered plane under a project jointly funded by Boeing and the US Government. The unmanned SolarEagle aircraft fitted with solar panels will be able to stay in the air at an altitude of more than 18km for five years at a time.
Hirth Motors Powers Saab Skeldar
Hirth 3503 EFI
Hirth Motors (Goebler-Hirthmotoren KG) has been working with Saab on the propulsion system for Saab’s Skeldar V-200. The power plant is Hirth’s 3503 EFI engine – a 625cc water cooled in-line 2-stroke engine with electronic fuel injection (EFI) producing 60 hp (44 kW).
Pratt & Whitney Powers the X-47B
Pratt & Whitney’s F100-PW-220U engine and exhaust system powered the first flight of the Navy / Northrop Grumman X-47B flight test aircraft for the U.S. Navy’s Unmanned Combat Air System Carrier Demonstration (UCAS-D) programme.
Ultra Electronics Makes Two US Acquistions
UK’s Ultra Electronics started the year with two US acquisitions: Adaptive Materials (AMI) for $23 million cash plus another $5 million based on future performance, and 3e Technologies International, for $30 million. AMI designs and makes propane fuel cells suitable to power small UAs demanding 50W-300W power, and 3e makes military grade wireless networking and communications equipment.
US Air Force Wants Hybrid-Powered One-Man UAS
The U.S. Air Force is calling for industry to build a hybrid-powered unmanned aircraft able to be carried and operated by only one person on battlefield situational awareness missions. It should weigh less than 20 pounds and be able to carry a 4-pound electro-optical payload on missions over rough terrain for at least four hours. The total cost of the programme is expected to be about $2.2 million.