Diesel-Predator/Warrior first flight

First military diesel engine since 1945?

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http://www.c4isrjournal.com/story.php?F=482173

Predator Flies with Heavy Fuel Engine
November 03, 2004

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) announced on Oct. 25 that it had successfully flown one of its Predator unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with a heavy fuel engine (HFE). GA-ASI integrated the engine as a company-funded development to fully meet the U.S. Army’s “single fuel in the battlefield” objective. The HFE-equipped Predator will be offered as the Warrior, which GA-ASI is proposing for the Army’s Extended-Range Multi-Purpose (ER/MP) UAV solicitation.

The U.S. Air Force’s Predators are powered by a turbocharged Rotax 4-cylinder piston gasoline engine and fly up to an altitude of 25,000 feet. The HFE is a general aviation-certified Thielert Centurion engine. Use of this HFE powerplant, GA-ASI said, enables the rear propeller-driven air vehicle to fly above 25,000 feet on jet or diesel fuel with increased horsepower and significantly improved fuel efficiency. The HFE powerplant reduces maintenance costs, offers increased service life and greatly simplifies field logistics by using a more readily available fuel source. Initiated in July of 2004, the Warrior quick reaction prototype effort went from kick-off to first flight in less than three months, GA-ASI said.

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http://www.ga.com/news/10-25-04.html

Warrior™ HFE Demonstrator Unmanned Aircraft Takes Flight.

October 25, 2004 — San Diego, California. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), a leading manufacturer of unmanned aircraft systems, announced today that they have been successfully flying a Predator® unmanned aircraft powered by a heavy fuel engine (HFE). GA-ASI integrated the heavy fuel engine as a company funded development to fully meet the U.S. Army’s “single fuel in the battlefield” objective. The HFE will be offered with the Warrior, GA-ASI’s solution for the Army’s Extended Range Multi-purpose (ERMP) program. Warrior will provide the US Army with an HFE version of the combat proven Predator aircraft for long endurance surveillance, communications relay, and weapons delivery missions.

The Predator is powered by a general aviation certified Thielert Centurion engine. Use of this HFE power plant enables the aircraft to fly above 25,000 feet on jet or diesel fuel with increased horsepower and significantly improved fuel efficiency. The HFE power plant reduces maintenance costs, offers increased service life, and greatly simplifies field logistics by using a more readily available fuel source. Initiated in July of 2004, the Warrior quick reaction prototype effort went from kick-off to first flight in less than three months.

Established in 1993, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. has expanded the acceptance and application of unmanned aircraft systems with combat proven products such as the I-GNAT®, operated by the U.S. Government and international customers; the MQ-1 Predator, the U.S. Air Force workhorse in the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts; the turboprop powered MQ-9 Predator B “Hunter-Killer”, operational with the U.S. Air Force; ALTUS®, operated in conjunction with NASA; ALTAIRTM, for a variety of mission applications including scientific and atmospheric research, surveillance, reconnaissance and now, Warrior, which marks the beginning of routine flight with heavy fuel power in a medium altitude unmanned aircraft.