Durability testing of new drone engine completed by GA-ASI
NewsMay 31, 2024
SAN DIEGO, California. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) completed durability testing of its 200-horsepower Heavy Fuel Engine (HFE) 2.0 at its flight facility in El Mirage, California, the company announced in a statement. This engine is slated to power the new Gray Eagle 25M uncrewed aerial system (UAS) and aims to extend maintenance intervals.
The HFE 2.0 incorporates a newly designed gear box by GA-ASI and dual brushless generators from General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS), which are intended to extend the engine's operation to 2,500 hours between scheduled overhauls and enhance the maintenance-free operation of the aircraft, the statement reads.
The final phase of testing involved simulating the entire 2,500-hour lifespan of the engine under maximum flight loads, including conditions representing 1,250 full-power take-offs and climbs to high-cruising altitude, the company says, adding that the testing regimen also simulated over 200 hours of cruise in extreme generator loading conditions.
The HFE 2.0 engine is under consideration by the U.S. Army as a replacement for the 180-horsepower engine currently used in GA-ASI’s Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE ER) UAS. The engine is also a key component of the Gray Eagle 25M UAS, which is being developed to support the Army's future Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) UAS missions, the statement adds.
