AAI/ Textron Aerosonde UAV with Orbital FlexDI Engine($600mm?) Aerosonde wins special operations contract By: Zach Rosenberg Washington DC 39 minutes ago Source:
US Special Forces Command (SOCOM) selected the AAI Aerosonde to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) services. The mid-endurance unmanned air systems (MEUAS) award, worth up to $600 million over time, will see AAI operate and maintain the small unmanned air vehicles (UAV) on SOCOM's behalf.
Textron, AAI's parent company, declined to provide additional details, including aircraft type and payloads. However, AAI officials told Flightglobal in January of their intent to bid the contract with a revamped version of the Aerosonde Mk 4.7.
The modified Aerosonde, known internally as 'Aerosonde-G,' weighs 34kg [75lb] and includes a heavy fuel engine with significantly increased power. The aircraft uses the same ground control station as the RQ-7, a system also built by AAI that is widely operated throughout US ground forces.
Aerosonde and two others were selected to fulfill the US Navy's ISR services contract, a similar contractor-owned, contractor-operated contract worth up to $874 million.
SOCOM was not immediately available for comment, while Textron declined to comment and deferred questions to SOCOM.
I am sure the above UAV is powered by the Orbital engine noted in the Director's Report and quoted here:
" A major part of the engineering and consulting work carried out during the half year was the developement and supply of heavy fuel engines for AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems, an operating unit of Textron Systems, a Textron Inc (NYSE: TXT) company.The engine is incorporated in the latest Aerosonde(R) small unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV). This new UAV was recently previewed in a Flight Global article, dated 11 January 2012*. The engine is a 3 kW(4hp) heavy fuel engine built to meet US military requirements. The Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) market is an emerging market for OCS. Many UAS applications around the world are calling for "one fuel' policy. For small reconnaissance UAS applications , engine size and weight are critical. orbital's FlexDI(TM) systems , coupled to purpose desighned light weight two-stroke engines enable a spark-ignition engine package that can operate independently on heavy fuels such as kerosene, JP5 and JP8.
The developement and supply of engines for AAI offset a a reduction in orbital's tradional consulting services revenue."
* 11 January 2012 flight Global Article:
Textron unveils modified Aerosonde
? Print By: Zach Rosenberg Washington DC 08:01 11 Jan 2012 Source:
Textron has unveiled an updated version of the Aerosonde small unmanned air vehicle (UAV) featuring a heavy fuel engine and modified wings. The changes will allow the aircraft to survive harsh recoveries.
Referred to internally as the 'RG,' the latest Aerosonde model is a modification of the Mk 4.7 and includes the aircraft's same 6.8kg (15lb) payload capacity. The changes include a 3kW (4hp) heavy fuel engine, built by Orbital, to meet US military requirements. The increased power allows the aircraft to generate up to 300 watts for payloads, allowing greater choice and flexibility for operators.
The Aerosonde's wing is mounted slightly lower on the fuselage, replaced by communications equipment that benefits from airflow cooling. The wing is substantially strengthened both internally and externally, allowing the aircraft to survive more recoveries, which are made by flying the aircraft into a net. The launch process has been changed from a fuselage-gripping sling to wing-mounted brackets.
The development process took 12 months, according to Textron, and six of the new aircraft have been built to date. The new version of Aerosonde will be included in bids for major US military UAV contracts, including ISR Services and MUAS.
(20min delay)