Orbital Corp delivers Boeing’s first UAV propulsion system

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Orbital Corporation Limited has delivered the first purpose-built ScanEagle Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) propulsion system to Insitu Inc., a subsidiary of The Boeing Company, for in-house testing and development.

Designed specifically for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (SUAS) class UAVs, it is the first reciprocating internal combustion propulsion system to be engineered from the ground up for unmanned aerospace application.

“Delivery of this first engine is a major milestone in the UAV propulsion engineering project,” Mr. Terry Stinson, Orbital’s CEO and Managing Director, told Defense World Net.

Unmanned Systems Conference 2014 – Israel

“Insitu is very satisfied with the program results to date, and the team is already moving forward to achieve our next target,” he said.

“We are delighted with the receipt of this first propulsion system and our collaboration with Orbital Corporation in Australia,” said Mr. Ryan Hartman, Insitu’s President and CEO. “We conducted a rigorous selection process for our next generation propulsion supply partner, and this event further proves that we made the right choice.” Orbital has been working with Insitu division of Boeing since January 2013 as part of an initial design, development and validation contract to supply UAV propulsion systems.