UAV Propulsion Tech

UAV Propulsion Tech is a U.S. company that markets UAV technology from Germany, Austria, Estonia, Canada, United Kingdom, India, Singapore, USA, France, Switzerland, Finland and Sweden into the U.S. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle market.

We represent a wide range of companies from across the globe, whose proven commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) and custom solutions are already flying on several high-end global UAV platforms. Select a product type and company to view more:

Suter Industries

Compact, lightweight UAV Engines

Suter Industries produces UAV engines that were co-developed with Compass Aircraft Europe GmbH (CAE GmbH). Suter’s line of advanced 2-stroke UAV engines are based on the core TOA 288 engine, with a modular construction ensuring suitability for a wide range of applications.

The Suter 288 engine is a twin cylinder, horizontal opposed, air cooled, two cycle engine, with fuel saving electronic engine management system and a 1kW starter/generator. The engine offers an optimized power-to-weight ratio (up to 20% better than comparable engines) and better fuel consumption.

The Suter 288 has automatic altitude and temperature calibration and runs on gasoline. A heavy fuel variant will be available in the future.

• Displacement: 288cm³
• Power: 13.3kW (18HP) @5700rpm, 17.5kW (24HP) @6500rpm

All engines are produced in Switzerland and are 100% tested and supplied with a certificate of conformance.

Learn more: Suter UAV Engines

ePropelled

UAV Starter-Generators and PM Motors

Designers need to understand the trade-offs in starter generator specifications that will have a major impact on the success of their UAV.  Weight, operating temperature and efficiency have a major influence on performance parameters such as flight duration, payload, operating ceiling and range.  In addition, the starter generator must integrate with other electrical system components.

ePropelled has a range of off the shelf options:

• Starter/Generators: 500W, 3kW, 6kW, 12kW (including corresponding power management units)
• Motors: 500W, 3kW, 6kW, 12kW (including electronic speed control units)

Benefits:

• Best in Class Temperature Range: ePropelled’s patent pending technology enables high continuous operating temperature range (up to 200°C) in its class. This allows UAVs to operate at higher altitude where the air is thinner or where it is in an enclosed environment
• Low Weight: The Spyder outer rotor series boasts the lowest weight in its class with outstanding power density
• High Efficiency: Lightweight and compact design combines a high power density (2.3kW/kg continuous, 6kW/kg peak) with high efficiency (above 90%).

Learn more: ePropelled UAV Starter-Generators & PM Motors

AEROSTAK: World’s smallest & lightest fuel cell stack

AEROSTAK is a complete power device that includes a PEM Fuel Cell stack, aerospace-grade control electronics, resistant-to-shock casings with integrated air cooling fans, and LiPo-compatible hybrid electronic cards.

HES Energy Systems can design and manufacture ultralight fuel cell stacks ranging from 10W to 2kW but also offer the following standard sizes and power configurations:

Learn more: HES Energy Systems

Neva Aerospace

Electric Turbofan Propulsion for UAVs and Drones

Neva Aerospace is a leading developer of technologies for unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) and other electric aviation platforms. Their uniquely housed electric turbofan (ETF) design, optimized for static thrust and V/STOL (vertical/short takeoff and landing) aircraft, provides high efficiency and increased safety compared to uncaged rotor blades, and creates new possibilities for the development of the next generation of unmanned aerial systems.

Neva’s Athena A turbines feature a combination of light weight and superior stability and yaw control. UAV designers can benefit from a wide range of options for multiple turbines to be used and controlled in synch, with increased scope for redundancy. Athena A turbines are available in single-stage (clockwise or counter-clockwise) and two-stage (counter-rotating) versions. The two-stage version produces a maximum trust of 4.0 kgf.

Typical applications for unmanned aircraft include:

• Bespoke applications for medium sized UAS/UAVs
• Bespoke heavy-payload, high-safety UAS/UAVs
• Security and defense
• Electric aviation for high-efficiency VTOL and slow-speed linear flight.

Learn more: Neva Aerospace

Reventec

Liquid Level Sensors and Fuel Flow Sensors
for Unmanned Vehicles

Reventec is an internationally recognized mechanical and electronic design consultancy that provides a range of sensors for the aerospace and defense markets. Their wide range of design expertise, particularly in the development of products for use in harsh environments, makes their products ideal for the demanding requirements of unmanned vehicles.

Liquid Level Sensors

Reventec’s world-leading capacitive liquid level sensing technology provides precise and stable level readings even under the harshest of environmental conditions, making them ideal for fuel, oil, water, and coolant level measurements in UAVs, UGVs and other unmanned vehicles.

The EcoSense range of solid-state capacitive sensors is capable of continuous level measurement in all common liquid types. The modular sensor can be customised for length and allows for a wide range of mounting options with the use of a custom or stock mounting adaptor.

ProSense carbon capacitive level sensors are proven in harsh environment applications and custom designed to your requirements, making them ideal for low and mid volume production runs as well as one-off prototypes.

The sensors are available with integrated or remote electronics for high temperature or confined envelope applications.

UAV Servos & Flight Controllers

Volz Actuators

High Performance Servo Actuators

Volz produces high-performance servo actuators for industrial and aerospace applications, with several COTS solutions and the ability to develop custom solutions.

• Fully Redundant Actuators
• Brushless Actuators
• Throttle Servo Actuators
• Actuators for Optional Piloted Vehicles (OPVs)
• Deep-Sea/Submersible AUV/UUV Actuators, proven to 100m/300ft or 10bar/145psi

Flying Car/Taxi Servos:

Volz actuators are flying on several global UAV platforms including the Lockheed Martin Fury 1500, Northrop Grumman BAT, AAI Corp Aerosonde Mk4.7, Aeronautics Orbiter, EADS Cassidian DO-DT target drones, Schiebel Camcopter S-100 and Zipline.

Actuators are available with number of high-end optional features including brushless motors, contactless sensor, position feedback and clutch mechanisms, providing a high-reliability solution. All hardware has traceability which can be difficult to obtain from high volume hobby RC servos.

A redundant variant of the DA26 servo is available, designed for extreme depth and pressure conditions down to 2000m/6600ft.

Key Features of Volz Actuators:

• CNC machined aluminum actuator case
• IP67 standard for water/dust intrusion protection
• Multi-purpose lug mounts for variable servo fixation
• Integrated microprocessor controlled PC boards
• Fully programmable by the customer
• Redundant servo solutions.

Learn more: Volz Servos Actuators

More: Aeron Systems

MicroPilot

Autopilots for helicopters, fixed wing and multi-rotor UAVs

MicroPilot is located in Stony Mountain, Canada (just outside of Winipeg) and has been in business since 1994 supplying high end autopilots for the global UAV market. MicroPilot currently services over 850 clients in over 70 countries representing both small and large UAV manufacturers (commercial and defense) and research organizations.  MicroPilot offers a family of lightweight UAV autopilots that fly fixed-wing, transitional, helicopter, and multi-rotor UAVs.

Some of MicroPilot’s autopilots’ popular features include:

• Airspeed and altitude hold
• Turn coordination
• GPS navigation
• Vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL)
• Autonomous operation from launch to recovery

Seamless Upgrade

MicroPilot has a range of autopilots from the single-use autopilot (MP2x28xp) all the way up to the powerful VTOL autopilot (MP2128HELI), providing a seamless upgrade path. No other autopilot manufacturer offers this high degree of adaptable technology and range of autopilot options. Once Micropilot’s customers learn how to work with one of MicroPilot’s autopilots, they are equipped to use them all. This makes MicroPilot the single-vendor solution for autopilot hardware, software, and accessory needs. MicroPilot’s line of autopilots allows its customers to grow and adapt at a fraction of the cost offered by many other autopilot competitors. This allows MicroPilot’s customers to get in the air faster without having to fund their own team to develop their own custom autopilot.

Learn more: MicroPilot UAV Autopilots

DST Control

Gyro stabilized EO/IR gimbal systems and thermal imagers for UAVs

Located in Linköping, Sweden, DST Control supplies lightweight, high performance gyro-stabilized electro-optical systems with both EO and IR capabilities, and small lightweight thermal imagers. As a trusted and established supplier of imaging systems and know-how for the unmanned vehicle industry for the last 20 years, DST has been involved in several national and international unmanned aerial vehicle projects.

OTUS Gyro-stabilized Sensor Systems

OTUS gyro-stabilized electro-optical micro-gimbals are optimized for use in small & medium sized unmanned vehicles and small manned aircraft, featuring a day-light camera and/or an un-cooled infrared camera combined with a laser range finder. OTUS is one of the smallest and lightest gimbals on the market, yet provides performance & functions typically only found in much larger units.

The two axis OTUS U135, U170 and U200 gimbals reach a new level of stabilization performance thanks to purpose-built high-bandwidth torque motors implementing active vibration attenuation. The all new four axis OTUS U250 gimbal achieves even greater stabilization due to a combination of purpose-built high-bandwidth torque motors and geared motors.

All electronics required for the advanced digital control fits within the unit shell of each gimbal. The user only has to connect an external power supply, a video monitor and a joystick, to have the system up and running. A three dimensional micro-mechanical IMU and a laser range finder mounted directly on the optical bench, allows for advanced features like geo-location and geo-positioning, provided an external heading source is connected to the gimbal. Each gimbal features a powerful digital servo controller, which is even capable of providing enough computational power to drive optional features like vehicle control and navigation.

OTUS provides unique optional functions such as geo-localization, automatic video tracking and video recording, with everything integrated within the gimbal. The OTUS gimbals have no export restrictions, nor ITAR.

SAITIS Thermal Imagers

SAITIS-640 is an uncooled microbolometer LWIR camera (amorphous silicon, spectral band 8-14 μm) with 640×480 pixels resolution. Unique features for the SAITIS-640 is its low weight and size (from 27mm x 27mm x 26mm) but also the minimum power requirements (1W).  The SAITIS-640 can be equipped with a wide range of optics and has maximum exportability even in full frame rate.

Learn more: DST Control

Senop

Hyperspectral Imaging Solutions for UAVs and Drones

Senop is a developer of advanced hyperspectral imaging solutions for UAV applications including precision agriculture, scientific research and forestry.

HCS-2 Hyperspectral Camera
Senop’s next-generation HCS-2 is a VNIR (400-1000 nm) spectral range camera suitable for both fixed-wing and multirotor UAV platforms. The frame-based snap shot device, with a 1MP resolution and up to 149 frames/sec, provides true spectral data in each pixel with no interpolation.

The HCS-2 allows users to program and select up to a thousand individual spectral bands. An open API allows developers to create their own custom software for specific applications.

Learn more: Senop – Hyperspectral UAV Imaging Solutions

UAV Launchers & Parachutes

PASA (Parachute Safety Solutions)

Fixed-wing UAV rescue/recovery parachutes and airbags

PASA’s ‘Protect UAV’ rescue parachute solutions are typically smaller and lighter than other solutions on the market, and benefit from an automatic cord-cutter system that releases the parachute once the air vehicle has landed, minimizing the potential for damage due to high wind.  PASA solutions are in use today with European and US UAV customers.

Key advantages of PASA’s Protect UAV parachutes are:

• High speed-range for initial phase of deployment: 60 bis 220km/h tested, extension feasible
• Moderate G-load throughout total deployment-range due to configurable slider system: standard <6g
• Quick stabilization after deployment
• Low tendency of oscillation
• Extreme low weight and dimensions resulting in low effect on payload: standard 1.5-2.0kg with 4-6.5 liter volume
• Standard sizes for MTOW of 45 to 100kg, extension of MTOW easily feasible
• Scalable to individual requirements via custom-built computational configuration tool
• Re-useable: 10+ deployments possible
• Development and production in accordance to aeronautical engineering regulations
• Verification of required parameters through special measuring equipment and video documentation during airdrop-tests
• Low adaptation and development efforts while in design phase to consider specific requirements.

Learn more: Protect UAV Parachutes

ParaZero Drone Safety Systems

Pyrotechnic parachute solutions for VTOL and transitional VTOL aircraft

ParaZero Drone Safety Solutions was founded in 2014 in Be’er Sheva, Israel by a passionate group of aviation professionals, together with veteran drone operators, to solve the industry’s primary challenge – safety.

ParaZero’s vision is to use the SafeAir drone safety technology to unlock the full potential of the commercial drone industry. Their pyrotechnic parachute solutions are designed for VTOL or transitional VTOL aircraft that require a deployment mechanism to propel the parachute away from the aircraft.

ParaZero has COTS solutions for several DJI multicopters and also develops custom pyrotechnic rescue parachute solutions for larger VTOL and transitional VTOL applications (UAV and Urban Air Mobility).

Learn more: ParaZero UAV Parachutes

Eli Airborne Solutions

Pneumatic UAV Launcher and Parachute Release System

Eli Airborne Solutions is a leading manufacturer of UAV/UAS solutions for the military and commercial sectors. Eli prides itself on being at the forefront of the latest technological innovations and the company’s equipment is utilized worldwide.

Pneumatic UAV Catapult Launcher

Eli’s pneumatic UAV catapult launcher has been designed to accelerate unmanned aircraft with a MTOW of up to 45 kg and launch them at speeds up to 25m/s. The lightweight, battery-powered launcher can be quickly and easily assembled in minutes and breaks down into two custom rugged cases for maximum portability. Eli can design custom carriage rods to accommodate customers’ particular UAV requirements.

UAV Parachute Release System

In harsh weather conditions, parachute canopies may remain filled with air after landing, dragging and potentially damaging UAVs. Eli’s patented UAV parachute release system provides an effective and reliable solution for this problem, immediately disconnecting the aircraft from the parachute upon impact with the ground. The lightweight, easy to operate device is highly reliable as it is a light-weight mechanical solution with no electronic parts.

The UAV Parachute Release System measures just 80mm in length and 17mm diameter, with a total weight of 50g, and is designed for UAVs of up to 50kg. Eli can design custom release systems according to specific needs.

More: Eli Airborne Solutions