Austro Engines, a division of Diamond Aircraft, has capped two and a half years of developing its AE80R rotary aircraft engine with successful bench testing. The company announced the tests yesterday, saying the new engine is a higher-power derivative of its successful 55-hp AE50R rotary.
Target weight of the AE80 is less than 60 pounds. A sophisticated dual FADEC system controlling fuel injection is expected to increase efficiency and reliability. Christian Dries, chairman and owner of Diamond Aircraft said, “The engine has no vibration and therefore it is ideal to power UAVs with highly sensitive equipment.” He also expects his newest engine to become one of the leaders in the LSA market, due to the extreme weight sensitivity of such aircraft.
