On Nov. 13, 2024, Normal Atomics Aeronautical Methods, Inc. (GA-ASI), accomplished its closing qualification take a look at for its new 200-horsepower heavy gasoline engine at its El Mirage, California, flight facility. The Heavy Gas 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 major efficiency normal 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 intensive 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 fruits of the intensive 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 we’ve 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 Normal Atomics Europe affiliate partnered with world leaders in high-performance engines — supported by propulsion know-how innovator Cosworth — to develop an engine on the corporate’s internally funded analysis and improvement program. GA-ASI additionally introduced in Normal Atomics Electromagnetic Methods to design and construct the engine’s twin brushless generator, which is able to dramatically cut back area upkeep and is designed to be a drop-in alternative for the present generator. The improved generator will ship over 50 p.c extra electrical energy to assist newly out there 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 present fleet of GA-ASI’s Grey Eagle Prolonged Vary (GE ER) Unmanned Plane System (UAS) as a alternative 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 presently being produced beneath a U.S. Military-funded program to assist future MDO UAS missions.
About GA-ASI
Normal Atomics Aeronautical Methods, Inc. (GA-ASI), an affiliate of Normal Atomics, is a number one designer and producer of confirmed, dependable RPA techniques, radars, and electro-optic and associated mission techniques, together with the Predator® RPA collection and the Lynx® Multi-mode Radar. With greater than eight million flight hours, GA-ASI offers long-endurance, mission-capable plane with built-in sensor and information hyperlink techniques required to ship persistent situational consciousness. The corporate additionally produces a wide range of sensor management/picture evaluation software program, gives pilot coaching and assist providers, and develops meta-material antennas.
For extra info, go to www.ga-asi.com
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