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Together, the AE50R and the more powerful but likewise aviation authority- certified AE300 provide valuable options for UAV producers 43 D ifferent types of engine are currently being used around the globe for the burgeoning number of unmanned aerial vehicles. For some applications the Wankel- type rotary is the favoured type, and while various companies offer them, a particular feature of the rotary engine manufactured by Austro Engine, the AE50R, is that it is certified for aviation use in many countries. While not yet a normal UAV requirement, that is likely to become so as current operational constraints are relaxed. So far, more that 1200 examples of the AE50R have been supplied. It is a single-rotor engine that weighs less than 30 kg yet produces more than 41 kW (55 bhp). It has port injection of avgas or unleaded gasoline, and is run by a full engine management system. Cooling is via a combination of liquid and forced air supply, the latter controlling the temperature of the rotor. Produced at Wiener Neustadt, near Austria’s capital Vienna, the engine is sold by Austro Engine alongside a 2.0 litre turbodiesel I4, the 123.5 kW (166 bhp) AE300, which is designed for more powerful UAVs and the use of kerosene- based fuel. Together, the AE50R and the likewise aviation authority-certified AE300 provide valuable options for UAV producers as the scope of the technology widens. Austro Engine AE50R rotary and AE300 I4 | Dossier Ian Bamsey investigates Austro Engine’s rotary power plant for UAV use – and its turbodiesel Unmanned Systems Technology | Summer 2015 Viennese whirls The AE50R – note the rotating balance weight on the output side