NW-44 UAV engine undergoes flight testing
Northwest UAV's (NWUAV’s) NW-44 UAV engine has been successfully integrated into an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and completed the first round of flight tests with an undisclosed launch customer, the company announced on 4 May.
The NW-44 is a small UAV propulsion system consisting of a fuel injected 3.6 horsepower engine and a 250watt permanent magnet alternator. The engine has been designed and packaged to meet the requirements of Small Unmanned Air Vehicles (SUAVs) in the range of 20-40kg.
Chris Harris, president, NWUAV, said: ‘The NW-44 exceeded our expectations. We are very happy with the performance of this system and are excited to bring this key technology to the UAV market.
According to Harris, the customer has placed an order for an additional six units based on its performance.
Prior to flight trials the system was tested to the FAA’s FAR 33 endurance standards. The NWUAV designed Battery Backup Module and Power Management Systems were also tested during flight trials.
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