Keywords
Citation
(2006), "GKN Aerospace to provide Korean “Smart UAV” fuel system", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 78 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2006.12778fab.040
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2006, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
GKN Aerospace to provide Korean “Smart UAV” fuel system
GKN Aerospace to provide Korean “Smart UAV” fuel system
Keywords: Aircraft components, Fuels
GKN Aerospace – FPT Industries has been selected as the fuel system supplier for the Korean smart unmanned air vehicle (UAV) development programme.
The FPT Industries ultra-lightweight fuel system for the Korean Smart UAV will enhance critical performance factors such as the “loiter on target” time, range and payload of this platform. It will combine advanced composite materials with a new range of low mass fixtures and connectors, to create the most advanced fuel system available for UAV's on the market.
FPT Industries has a track record in the application of composite flexible materials in the design and manufacture light weight fuel bladders to operate in extreme and rigorous environments. The Korean fuel system is based around six fuel tanks manufactured using advanced, flexible fuel bladder technology, with a supporting fuel supply and conditioning system which will optimise the fuel supply, and therefore platform performance, in any operating environment.
John Pritchard, Vice President Operation and Site Director for FPT Industries, comments: “The growth in the use of UAV's, and the potential of this market clearly make this a focus for the FPT business in the medium to long-term. This Korean contract demonstrates the strength of our relationship with the Korean aerospace industry and places FPT Industries in a strong position in the development of civil UAVs.”
Smart UAV is a developmental programme scheduled to run to 2012 with the aim of designing an intelligent, vertical take off and landing (VTOL), tilt-rotor UAV platform with levels of speed and reliability similar to general aviation aircraft. The vehicle will achieve low operating costs through the application of advanced structures and materials, through the use of technologies such as collision detection and avoidance, failure diagnosis, intelligent flight control and active vibration/noise/speed control, and through on board monitoring systems such as health and usage monitoring.
Smart UAV will offer both civil and government operators, who currently employ traditional, more expensive solutions (such as helicopters and fixed wing aircraft), a more cost effective and flexible solution to tasks such as weather forecasting, area and crowd monitoring, border patrol and inshore fishery patrols.
In addition, for operations such as television outside broadcast and disaster relief it will offer an effective means to assess activity across large areas swiftly and efficiently and will improve response times and the availability of information in a timely manner.
Details available from: GKN Aerospace. Tel: +44 (0)1983 283649.