New Northwest UAV Model Going International

From humble beginnings in an Oregon garage, Northwest UAV (NWUAV) has evolved into a premier provider of propulsion systems for the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) industry.

The company’s expertise and products span heavy-fuel propulsion; hydrogen fuel cell power; Engine Control Units (ECU), ignition and fuel-injection systems; servo actuators; sense-and-avoid technology; engine diagnostic and test equipment; UAV propulsion and payload engineering; and flight-testing in the company’s FAA certified airspace.

On 01 June 2023, Northwest UAV announced its newest heavy-fuel UAV engine—the NW-230 EFI HF—has been granted EAR 99 export approval, thereby dramatically expanding the company’s market reach.

Contrived and promulgated by the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, Export Administration Regulations (EAR) control U.S. exports of strategically significant products. Northwest UAV’s NW-230 is the newest EAR-99 approved propulsion system in Northwest UAV’s family of engines—which includes the NW-44 and NW-88 models.

The NW-230 EFI HF engine is designed for 198-352-pound (90-160-kilogram) UAVs. Purpose-built to operate on heavy fuel (JP5/JP8/TS-1/Jet A), NWUAV’s latest offering is more efficient than gasoline engines converted to run on heavy fuel. Additionally, the NW-230 uses combat-proven sub-system components derived from its NW-44 and NW-88 stablemates—specimens of which are in worldwide operation on several airframes. Ergo, the NW-230 is an excellent choice for companies looking for an Aviation Grade, turn-key, cost-effective solution for their aircraft.

Northwest AUV’s NW-44, NW-88, and NW-230 engines carry TRL-9 ratings. Technology Readiness Level (TRL) is a metric by which the maturity of a given technology is assessed and categorized. Evolving technologies are evaluated and assigned one of nine possible TRL ratings. The most inchoate technologies are ascribed TRL-1 ratings. Conversely, TRL-9 denotes the most mature and proven technologies.

After over 15-years of developing and delivering over 18,000 engines, NWUAV continues to drive the UAV industry into the dawning era of unprecedented growth, fantastic possibility, and incontrovertible relevance.

On 3 October 2022, Northwest UAV completed initial testing of its NW-230 twin-cylinder, multi-fuel, UAV engine. Deriving of technologies pioneered in the development of its NW-44 and NW-88 progenitors, the NW-230 is designed to offer endurance and reliability to Group III UAVs—a class of large aerial vehicles, the payloads and performance of which are conducive to both commercial and military purposes.

NWUAV owner and president Chris Harris stated: “With the success of our first two proprietary heavy-fuel engines, the NW-44 and NW-88, which offer more reliable, efficient, cost-effective solutions for Group II & III UAVs, it’s just a natural progression to continue to lean on our expertise to offer solutions for the UAVs of today and the future. The industry is leaning toward higher, faster, longer missions for aircraft payloads that continue to increase the demands of the systems powering them, and our NW-230 is designed to provide the levels of maturity the industry mandates.”

Mr. Harris added: “By designing systems around increased engine life, continually improving maintenance cycles, endurance and fuel burn, our engines are focused on your total cost of ownership and the return on your investment. And it’s no longer just about staying in the air. If the last two years have taught us anything, we have to be able to rely on mature, established build practices that lower the chances of supply chain delays and cost overruns. That is why we have built the NW-230 with components made in America, and continue to manufacture all our proprietary products in house, where we control the quality, cost, and expertise it takes to produce world-class propulsion systems.”

Since its 2005 inception, Northwest UAV has set the UAS industry’s propulsion standards. The company has performed over ten-thousand hours of developmental testing on multiple engine platforms, and its in-field powerplants have collectively amassed over one-million-hours of flying time.

The entirety of NWUAV’s systems are designed to operate on various heavy fuels or gasoline in a broad variety of climates. NWUAV’s patented temperature control system and cylinder design ensure reliable engine operation through a temperature range spanning -22° to 131°F (-30°C to +55°C). What’s more, the company’s engineers have resolutely strived to ensure the propulsion systems they design are straightforward and easy to maintain both in-shop and afield.

FMI: www.NWUAV.com