Schiebel Camcopter S-100 Heavy Fuel Engine Completes Australian Navy's Acceptance Tests

Schiebel has announced the completion of the acceptance tests of their Heavy fuel S2 engine designed for the Royal Australian Navy's CAMCOPTER S-100 UAS.

“Delivered as a next generation replacement for the current propulsion unit, the S2 further increases the overall capability of the system,” the company said in a statement Monday.

“The enhancements offered by the S2 engine will enable the RAN to continue to expand their test and evaluation programme, examining advanced Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) UAS capabilities ahead of the Sea 129 Phase 5 Programme. This programme will select the future UAS capability for the RAN´s new Arafura Class Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) as well as other ships.

“A comprehensive series of test flight activities where conducted where the UAS demonstrated both endurance, and Maximum Take Off Weight (MTOW) - with multiple payloads,” Schiebel claimed.

The UAS was equipped with a L3 Harris Wescam MX-10 real-time Electro-Optical/Infra-Red (EO/IR) camera, an Automatic Identification System (AIS), a L3 Harris Bandit transceiver and a Mode-S Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) transponder. It provides the operators with the capability to locate and confirm the identity of vessels at sea, as well as transmitting the information in real time to users equipped with RoverTM remote video terminals. The new lightweight heavy fuel engine is initially cleared for JP-5 (F-44) and Jet-A1 fuels with other fuel types to be approved in future.