UMS SKELDAR, a joint venture between Saab and UMS AERO Group, develops advanced Rotary Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) platforms. The company is Europe’s leading provider of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) across maritime, military and civilian markets where dependable and affordable systems are required.
Historically, the maritime and military sectors have largely used fixed-wing UAV’s.
However, these systems require significant resources in terms of ground crew and equipment to launch and recover the system, not to mention the space required on a naval vessel to house it.
Rotary UAV’s, on the other hand, allow operators to make significant reductions in their logistical footprint and resource requirements, which is especially important for navy ships where space is at a premium.
From a maritime perspective, it is critical that the UAV runs on heavy fuels. The major reason for this is safety; gasoline is not permitted onboard a navy vessel due to its combustibility. Mostly kerosene based, heavy fuel is one of the primary fuels used in the maritime domain and is desirable due to its strong performance and lower volatility.
Heavy fuels are very hard to ignite, increasing their ability to be safely stored for long periods of time without risk of degradation. Most importantly, heavy fuels reduce the danger of fires on a ship or base, which is a must for naval operators.
The kerosene based JP8 is one of the primary fuels used in the maritime domain. JP8 supports NATO’s one-fuel policy, which has been in existence for over 30 years and was designed to maximise equipment interoperability using a single fuel for all, be it on land or sea.
Hirth Engines has been a pioneer of the two-stroke engine for over 60 years, with a track record of more than 30 years in the UAV sector. To meet the requirements UMS SKELDAR had set it, Hirth needed to design an engine no other manufacturer could offer at the time. Able to operate on heavy fuels, Hirth designed a variant of its 35 series, already a proven engine in other markets.
The 35HF is able to operate on both JP5 and JP8 fuels (NATO code F-34), providing a safe solution for maritime applications that do not require heaters and has a high time before overhauls (TBO) – something that is typically a challenge for other spark ignition heavy fuel engine technologies.
Hirth Engines is globally recognized for its innovative 2-stroke engines, offering unmatched engineering solutions and industry-leading performance. Known for precision and reliability,
© 2023 HIRTH ENGINES GMBH. HIRTH ENGINES® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF THE UMS AERO GROUP.
Hirth Engines is globally recognized for its innovative 2-stroke engines, offering unmatched engineering solutions and industry-leading performance. Known for precision and reliability,
© 2023 HIRTH ENGINES GMBH. HIRTH ENGINES® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF THE UMS AERO GROUP.