General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has successfully concluded durability testing for its new 200-horsepower heavy fuel engine at its El Mirage, California, flight facility.
The cutting-edge Heavy Fuel Engine (HFE) 2.0, incorporating a new GA-ASI-designed gearbox and dual brushless generators from General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS), is engineered to extend the engine and all associated components to 2,500 hours between scheduled overhauls, significantly enhancing maintenance-free operational periods.
“Our HFE 2.0 engine is now the best heavy fuel engine in aviation,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. “Hats off to our Internal Research and Development team whose ingenuity and technical sophistication inspired the HFE 2.0 program, allowing us to develop a more reliable and durable engine that also addresses diminishing manufacturing sources for aviation heavy fuel engines and components.”
The HFE 2.0 engine has successfully completed a rigorous final durability test, simulating a full 2,500-hour engine life under the highest flight loads. This comprehensive test included conditions simulating 1,250 full power take-offs, climbs to high-cruising altitudes, and over 200 hours of worst-case generator loading conditions.
The U.S. Army is considering the HFE 2.0 engine as the fleet replacement for the current 180-horsepower engine used on GA-ASI’s Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE ER) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS).
Additionally, the HFE 2.0 engine is a key component of the modernized Gray Eagle 25M (GE 25M) UAS, which is currently being produced under a U.S. Army-funded program to support future Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) UAS missions.
GA-ASI and General Atomics Europe have collaborated with industry leaders to develop an advanced engine with increased horsepower, durability, and reliability. Additionally, GA-EMS has designed and built dual brushless generators for the engine, offering over 50% more electrical power while maintaining the same Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) as the existing generators. The final 150-hour qualification testing is set to be completed in September, followed by certification from the U.S. Army.
