105 Laboratory’s Hamadori 3000 Space Entertainment Laboratory, in Japan, unveiled a new design concept for the next-generation aircraft in its series of Hamadori seaplane UAVs. The concept aircraft will have a twin hull design that will enable payload pods to be integrated into the centre of the main wing, such as AUVs winches, cargo pallets and various sensors. It is set to be the company’s largest UAV yet, with a MTOW of 1000 kg, a wingspan of 14 m and a length of 8 m. Also, its 300 kg payload capacity will enable a wide range of aerial and maritime logistics, research and survey missions in Japan’s exclusive economic zone and elsewhere. The aircraft is likely to be powered by twin turboprop engines, and have an expected range of 920 km. It will come with satcom as well as LOS data links, and the ability to navigate waves of up to 3 m while on the water. Of the two other aircraft in the series, the Hamadori 3000 is the smaller, and is powered by a lithium-ion battery for an endurance of 120 minutes and a range of 150 km, as well as a cruising speed of 35 knots. It has a 3.1 m wingspan, a 19 kg MTOW, and comes with an EO/IR camera gimbal as standard. The Hamadori 6000 UAV is still in development, but it will be powered by twin engines for an 8 hour endurance, a 740 km range and a 60 knot cruising speed. The airframe will be 4 m long and have a 6 m wingspan, along with the ability to carry 10 kg of payload within its 100 kg MTOW. All three will incorporate autopilot functionality for automatic take-off and landing on water as well as accurate navigation while on water surfaces (as currently available in the Hamadori 3000), along with acoustic comms for low-bandwidth subsea data links with underwater infrastructure or UUVs. Ascendance Flight Technologies (AFT) attended the show to discuss its ATEA eVTOL, being designed for urban air taxis, medical emergencies, logistics and aerial monitoring. The air taxi version will have a hybridelectric powertrain called Sterna, which AFT is optimising for running on an array of fuel engines, including those for kerosene, biofuels and synthetic fuels. There are plans to integrate hydrogen fuel cells as well. A distributed lift system of eight rotors mounted inside the forward and aft wings (four in each) help give turnaround times of 10 minutes, and once in the air the aircraft is anticipated to achieve ranges of over 400 km between refuelling and top speeds in excess of 200 kph. The ATEA prototype’s first test flight is expected next year, with the company aiming to deliver its first commercial unit in 2027. So far, Solvay and Airborne have been announced as suppliers for its composite aerostructure, with Evolito providing the battery. Demgy Group showcased its newest developments and materials solutions in plastics and composites. Among its offerings is the ability to provide functional carbon composite parts using PEKK (polyether-ketoneketone). These are produced on an EOS P 810 laser sintering machine, which uses EOS HT 23 material along with carbon fibres for reinforcement. EOS HT 23 is based on the Kepstan PEKK resin engineered by Arkema. Through that material and manufacturing approach, Demgy is able to produce complex and highperformance carbon-PEKK parts in series, up to dimensions of 700 x 380 x 380 mm. In addition to having high strength-to-weight ratios, the parts can withstand temperatures in excess of 200 oC, and can also be metallised for EM shielding or paths for current flow. The company also discussed other techniques for advanced materials manufacturing and treatment, including laser direct structuring for selective metallisation of parts, and laser ablation of specific metallised areas of components. Paris Air Show 2023 | Show report Uncrewed Systems Technology | October/November 2023 Space Entertainment Laboratory’s Hamadori 3000 The ATEA eVTOL from Ascendance Flight Technologies
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