HUNT VALLEY, Md., Oct. 8 (UPI) -- An Aerosonde Mark 4.7 small unmanned aircraft system has been successfully flown with a heavy fuel engine, AAI Corp. announced.
The company said a heavy fuel propulsion system is a critical capability for maritime services since kerosene-based fuels are less flammable than gasoline in shipboard environments.
Services with both land- and air-based missions, such as the U.S. Army, can embrace a "one fuel forward" concept by transitioning to a single fuel for all of their assets, minimizing cost and logistics.
The larger HFE delivers a significant increase in electrical power, generating higher horsepower and enabling the Aerosonde Mark 4.7 aircraft to carry additional payloads with greater electrical demands, it said.
"Our integration of a heavy fuel propulsion system onto the Aerosonde Mark 4.7 SUAS promises users increased performance, mission flexibility and convenience," says AAI Division Vice President, Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Stephen Flach. "This successful HFE demonstration is an important milestone and just one example of how we look to continuously mature our systems' capabilities to anticipate customer needs."
The flight was conducted at Fort Pickett in Virginia.
AAI Corp. and its indirect, wholly owned subsidiaries Aerosonde Pty Ltd and ESL Defence Ltd.,design, produce and support industry-leading aerospace and defense products and services, including unmanned aircraft and ground control technologies.
