Unmanned Systems Technology 006 | ECA Inspector Mk2 USV | Antenna systems | Northwest UAV NW-44 | Unmanned ground vehicles | Navigation systems | Lunar X challenge

44 T he genesis of the Northwest UAV (NWUAV) NW-44 came about in 2012. It was designed from a clean sheet of paper to suit fixed- and rotary-wing UAVs in the region of 40- 80 lb (18.14-36.29 kg) take-off weight. From the outset, NWUAV’s strategy was to produce an engine that would in theory obtain FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) certification. It had to be in theory because the agency does not yet offer certification for engines used in unmanned craft. In anticipation of certification, NWUAV, based in Oregon in the US, followed as far as was practical the FAA requirements for manned aircraft engines. “When FAA certification is available for UAV engines then we will be ready,” says Chris Harris, owner and president of NWUAV. The NW-44 was designed such that it can be supplied as a turnkey module including the core engine, the exhaust, induction and control systems, the propeller and an electrical generator. All that is then required to operate it is a fuel supply line and a communications (CAN, serial, PMW) link between the craft’s electronic control system and the NW- 44’s engine control unit (ECU). Since the NW-44 was a clean-sheet design, any type of internal combustion (IC) engine could have been selected by NWUAV – spark or compression ignition, reciprocating or rotary, naturally Ian Bamsey investigates a pioneering small-displacement, single-cylinder two-stroke engine designed purposely for UAV use Two-stroke innovation February/March 2016 | Unmanned Systems Technology The NW-44 seen from the left-hand side with the generator at the front of the crankshaft