83 delivery missions, particularly in remote locations or emergency relief operations. The Mosquito range will be expanded in future to include platforms with payload capacities of 100-500 kg. J Perkins is a UK-based distributor of small engines for UAVs and RC aircraft, and exhibited powerplants from a range of international manufacturers including Futaba, Swiwin, Zenoah and Stinger Engines. “From Stinger, we’re showing their twin boxer unit, a 125 cc two-stroke which produces about 12 bhp, and weighs 2665 g,” said Paul Bardoe. “It’s been developed for reliability rather than absolute peak power, so it’s designed for smooth throttle transitions and easy tickover. It runs on a standard petrol-oil mix, has an integrated ignition module for spark ignition on the back, and typically you’d install a 27 in [68.5 cm] diameter propeller with maybe 10-12o of blade pitch on the front.” Bardoe added that a version of the engine is coming with an integral BLDC starter/generator for generating electricity at 12-14 V on its aircraft to power the electronics and charge the batteries, as well as restarting the engine in mid-flight when needed. Semai Aviation exhibited its Dynotis range of motor-propeller test rigs, of which there are five standard versions, with further models customisable on request. The Dynotis model on display was Semai’s ST-751, which is suitable for cycling motors up to 120 V with up to 75 kg of thrust, 60 Nm torque, 300 A of current and 100,000 rpm speeds. “The stands come with our software system, which calculates key motor-prop performance values coming from the test stand such as rpm, thrust, torque and voltage, then downloads all that data in real time onto the user’s computer, allowing them to gain independent and correct analyses on motor and propeller efficiency,” said James Ewan Alptekin. “That way, before supplying or flying a UAV, manufacturers and integrators, can verify whether a given motor or prop is suitable for use on it, as well as if it’s the most energy and aerodynamically efficient choice.” Each Dynotis test rig comes in two models: a static model in which the stand is meant to be run while stationary, and a dynamic test model mounted on a test vehicle and moved forwards along smooth, straight terrain. The latter is configured (in both hardware and software) to function as if a UAV is in a wind tunnel, given the ambient air interplaying with the propeller, for companies seeking to avoid the expense of owning or hiring a wind tunnel. Co-located at the Thales stand was Atmosphere, a manufacturer and integrator of Iridium-based satellite comms terminals. “We have developed a range of products compatible with the Iridium Certus 100 constellation of satellites, which deliver 40 times the transmission bandwidth of legacy constellations,” said Jean-Marc Gaubert. The company’s latest terminal is its Planet 9770 UAV-L, which enables up to 88 kbit/s mid-band throughput. As its name suggests, it is built for UAVs weighing 700 g, and can be DroneX 2023 | Show report Uncrewed Systems Technology | December/January 2024 Semai Aviation’s Dynotis propeller test stand Atmosphere’s Planet 9770 Iridium module
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