After beginning the program in early 2022 and producing a concept prototype in May, Northwest UAV (NWUAV) has completed the first test runs on its newest engine, the NW-230 multi-fuel twin-cylinder Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) engine.
Following the successes of the NW-44 and NW-88 multi-fuel UAV engines, NWUAV believes the NW-230 will fill other mission gaps in the maturing Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) industry.
The NW-230 engine is designed to offer endurance and reliability to Group III UAVs, which are increasingly being used for commercial and military purposes. While organizations are still trying to field hobby-grade engines, NWUAV President and Owner Chris Harris continues to employ his extensive background in manned aviation to produce aviation-grade solutions.
“With the success of our first 2 proprietary heavy-fuel engines, the NW-44 and NW-88, which offer more reliable, efficient, cost-effective solutions for Group II & III UAVs, it’s just a natural progression to continue to lean on our expertise to offer solutions for the UAVs of today and the future,” said Chris Harris.
“The industry is leaning toward higher, faster, longer missions for aircraft payloads that continue to increase the demands of the systems powering them, and our NW-230 is designed to provide the levels of maturity the industry mandates.
“By designing systems around increased engine life, continually improving maintenance cycles, endurance and fuel burn, our engines are focused on your total cost of ownership and the return on your investment.
“And it’s no longer just about staying in the air. If the last two years have taught us anything we have to be able to rely on mature, established build practices that lower the chances of supply chain delays and cost overruns. That is why we have built the NW-230 with components made in America, and continue to manufacture all our proprietary products in house, where we control the quality, cost, and expertise it takes to produce world-class propulsion systems.”
The NW-230 engine is set to complete development testing this year and is expected to be in the skies by the first quarter of 2023. The company will be showcasing the NW-230 in person at booth #4007 at AUSA’s Annual Meeting and Expo in Washington DC, October 10-12.
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