Unmanned Systems Technology 026 I Tecdron TC800-FF I Propellers I USVs I AUVSI 2019 part 1 I Robby Moto UAVE I Singular Aircraft FlyOx I Teledyne SeaRaptor I Simulation & Testing I Ocean Business 2019 report

66 Dossier | Robby Moto UAVE aforementioned weight constraint. Most of the UAVE’s and the RES’ components are therefore made from recyclable and lightweight materials wherever possible. The crankshaft, con rods, camshafts, rockers, gears, pistons, timing chains, springs and fasteners are all made from steel. The oil sump, cylinder head covers, airbox, timing chain tensioner shoes and cooling water manifolds are made from additively printed thermoplastic – principally for easy prototyping – using an on-site printer. Most of the other major components have been made from aluminium, to help reduce weight and by extension fuel consumption. While the oil sump and cylinder head covers might typically be made from aluminium, thermoplastic parts have been used in both the RES and the UAVE to reduce overall weight. The thermoplastic has a density of roughly 1000 kg/m ³ , compared with the density of aluminium, which is about 2700 kg/m ³ . This thermoplastic, rather than rubber reinforced with steel wires, was also used to manufacture the cooling water manifolds, as the latter method would have been less environmentally friendly. June/July 2019 | Unmanned Systems Technology The offices and workshops of Robby Moto Engineering are located in Casalmaggiore, in the Italian province of Cremona. The company was founded by Roberto Papetti in the early 1990s, and since 1993 it has had a significant presence in motorsport, developing specialised titanium engine components for motorbike championships. By the late 1990s, Robby Moto had moved from just designing and prototyping engine parts to developing and manufacturing full engine designs for companies such as Benelli and Suzuki. Amid ongoing projects and collaborations in motorsport, the company conducted studies into endothermic cooling and light aviation prototypes for four-stroke engine designs in 2003 and 2007 respectively, with further studies and developments in aviation and nautical propulsion systems following. Company history The UAVE’s engine block is die-cast AlSi7, with integral linerless cylinders and crankcase (Author’s image) A gear on the front crankshaft section drives the distribution gear for camshaft timing, as well as a smaller gear for driving the oil pump (Author’s image)