On Nov. 13, 2024, Basic Atomics Aeronautical Programs, Inc. (GA-ASI), accomplished its ultimate qualification take a look at for its new 200-horsepower heavy gasoline engine at its El Mirage, California, flight facility. The Heavy Gasoline Engine (HFE) 2.0 is a extremely dependable low-maintenance engine with a 40 p.c enhance in service life offering longer maintenance-free operational durations. The engine will present the horsepower and electrical energy required to satisfy the demanding efficiency wants of the brand new Grey Eagle 25M for Multi-Area Operations (MDO).
The three-week qualification take a look at of the HFE 2.0 engine is aligned with the Federal Aviation Administration’s endurance take a look at necessities (FAA 14 CFR 33.49) because the FAA’s main efficiency customary for engines for use in business aviation. During the last 18 months, HFE 2.0 excelled in strenuous sturdiness testing that included 2,450 full energy cycles simulating excessive stress situations throughout three in depth take a look at profiles of 200, 400, and 651 hours. Moreover, the engine accomplished 50 hours of flight testing throughout the flight envelope.
“This take a look at is the end result of the in depth sturdiness and flight take a look at program for the HFE 2.0 engine,” mentioned GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. “It’s been nice to see the excellent take a look at outcomes which have validated the design and improvement of the HFE 2.0 engine now we have labored on so passionately for the previous seven years and to deliver this world-class engine to the Grey Eagle fleet.”
GA-ASI and its Basic Atomics Europe affiliate partnered with international leaders in high-performance engines — supported by propulsion expertise innovator Cosworth — to develop an engine on the corporate’s internally funded analysis and improvement program. GA-ASI additionally introduced in Basic Atomics Electromagnetic Programs to design and construct the engine’s twin brushless generator, which can dramatically scale back discipline upkeep and is designed to be a drop-in substitute for the prevailing generator. The improved generator will ship over 50 p.c extra electrical energy to assist newly accessible payloads for the MDO mission.
After completion of the FAA engine endurance take a look at, subsequent steps name for the U.S. Military certification course of to permit authorization of the HFE 2.0 to be used on the prevailing fleet of GA-ASI’s Grey Eagle Prolonged Vary (GE ER) Unmanned Plane System (UAS) as a substitute for the 180-horsepower engine that’s reaching its finish of life. HFE 2.0 can also be the cornerstone of the modernized Grey Eagle 25M (GE 25M) UAS at the moment being produced below a U.S. Military-funded program to assist future MDO UAS missions.
About GA-ASI
Basic Atomics Aeronautical Programs, Inc. (GA-ASI), an affiliate of Basic Atomics, is a number one designer and producer of confirmed, dependable RPA programs, radars, and electro-optic and associated mission programs, together with the Predator® RPA sequence and the Lynx® Multi-mode Radar. With greater than eight million flight hours, GA-ASI gives long-endurance, mission-capable plane with built-in sensor and knowledge hyperlink programs required to ship persistent situational consciousness. The corporate additionally produces a wide range of sensor management/picture evaluation software program, provides pilot coaching and assist providers, and develops meta-material antennas.
For extra info, go to www.ga-asi.com
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