General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) recently completed durability testing of the HFE 2.0the 200 horsepower engine powered by heavy fuel that will equip the systems in the future Gray Eagle 25M. This engine stands out for incorporating a cutting-edge gearbox and a set of dual brushless generators, designed by the division General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) to increase the time needed between each inspection and maintenance period.
The test, carried out at the company’s facilities in He Mirage, California, simulated a full engine life (up to 2,500 hours), operating, according to the manufacturer, at “the highest flight loads ever seen in the field.” The test also included conditions that replicated 1,250 full power takeoffs and high altitude climbs, as well as more than 200 hours of cruising in extreme conditions for the generator.
After completing the exercise, General Atomics announced that the United States Army (USA) is considering the HFE 2.0 to become the replacement for the current fleet of 180 horsepower thrusters used in UAS Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE ER).
To develop this engine, which offers greater power, reliability and durability compared to its predecessors, the conglomerate and its subsidiary General Atomics Europe partnered with world leaders in high-performance propellants such as, for example, the British firm cosworth. GA-EMS also played a leading role in the development process, responsible for the design and construction of the aforementioned dual generators, which will drastically reduce maintenance in the field, maintaining the size, weight and power figures (SWaP for its acronym in English) that the existing brush generator boasts. Additionally, this mechanism will deliver 50% more electrical energy for new payloads and mission capabilities.
According to the president of GA-ASI, David R. Alexander, the HFE 2.0, whose final 150 qualification tests will be completed in September, followed by US Army certification, “is now the best heavy fuel engine in the aviation sector.” For Alexander, the result of the development program is based on the combination of ingenuity and technical sophistication of the firm’s Research and Development team, which has managed to “develop a more reliable and durable engine, which also addresses manufacturing sources, increasingly smaller, for heavy fuel engines and components.”
