Northwest UAV In the News!

November 22, 2024 | McMinnville, OR: Northwest UAV has partnered with Silvus Technologies to offer the most advanced wireless communications systems available on the market.

The Silvus family of StreamCaster MANET radios deliver high-fidelity video, voice and data communications with class-leading output power, range, and mobility. At the heart of every StreamCaster MANET radio is Silvus’ leading-edge MN-MIMO waveform technology that creates a self-healing, self-forming, and adaptive mesh network — capable of linking hundreds of nodes. This allows operators C2 capability to connect multiple UAVs, UGVs, USVs, sensors, personnel, and manned/unmanned platforms with unmatched data rate throughput, EW resiliency, and scalability.

In addition to AES256 and FIPS 140-3 encryption for secure operations, StreamCaster MANET radios provide available access to Silvus’ Spectrum Dominance expansive suite of LPI/LPD and Anti-Jamming resiliency capabilities. Silvus is the only tactical MANET radio provider that delivers Spectrum Dominance secure and protected communications in complex, congested and contested environments, without compromising performance.

Trusted by military, law enforcement, and broadcast teams worldwide, Silvus’ StreamCaster MANET radios provide reliable connectivity for mission-critical applications where communications cannot fail.

“By integrating Silvus StreamCaster MANET radios with NWUAV’s comprehensive product offering, we’re empowering UAV operators and their teams with state-of-the-art tactical networking capabilities,” said Tom Bleier, Director of Unmanned Systems Sales at Silvus Technologies. “Whether for C2, sensor integration, or manned-unmanned teaming, our advanced MN-MIMO waveform technology ensures secure, resilient communications in even the most complex and contested environments.”

As the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) industry continues to grow rapidly, Northwest UAV works hard to continue to identify and promote modular building blocks for the unmanned systems that complement their own propulsion systems and other offered services as a One-Stop UAV Shop.…

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January 8, 2024 | McMinnville, OR: At the tail end of 2023, NWUAV was invited by one of their highly respected customers to conduct performance and altitude testing onsite. NWUAV visited their customer’s altitude dyno test chamber to validate the capabilities of the NW-230 Heavy Fuel engine. Testing went extraordinarily well, with only a few minor adjustments to the fueling map to address the barometric pressure changes as the engine ascended to 36,000-foot DA.

“It wasn’t unexpected that we would need to make minor adjustments to the fueling map to compensate for the altitude and temperature changes as we climbed. What was somewhat unexpected was the ability to get to ~36,000’ DA, which is where 737’s fly daily.” Said Chris Harris – CEO and owner of NWUAV. “The engine was operating well at that altitude and could have gone higher. The fuel-air charge between cylinders was consistent from sea level to altitude, which is typically a tough problem to overcome with a normally aspirated 2-stroke boxer engine operating on heavy fuel. I’m thrilled with the performance of the engine and its capabilities. Previously, as I have stated, trying to burn heavy fuels reliably at extreme temperatures and altitudes is critical to satisfying the future of tactical unmanned aircraft requirements, and the NW-230 is clearly on point to meet these missions.” said Chris Harris.

The altitude test is just one segment of the engine testing series for the NW-230. Mr. Harris went on to state, “Our highest priority is demonstrating product capabilities for customer combat mission operations that support the warfighter as we march through the product roadmap. From TRL 7 to total rate production and manufacturing readiness, Northwest UAV stands ready with its full line of propulsion solutions, the NW-230 being the latest release.”

The NW-230, an EAR 99 export-approved Heavy-Fuel UAV Engine, continues to prove its capabilities for UAV operations through multiple applications and mission operations from sea level to high altitudes. For information regarding Northwest UAV’s complete family of aviation-grade, turn-key, cost-effective propulsion solutions, please visit NWUAV NW-230 Multi-Fuel Engine.

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October 9, 2023 | McMinnville, OR: Northwest UAV is proud to announce that its newest heavy-fuel UAV engine, the NW-230, has achieved first flight operations with an undisclosed customer. The flight was conducted on a hybrid vertical take off and landing (HVTOL) UAV.

These successful flight operations elevate the NW-230 engine system to a Technical Readiness Level (TRL) of 7 for flying in an operational environment under end-user mission control.

Continued flight operations with the engine are on-going including active flight demonstrations being executed for end-users with real-world missions.

The NW-230, an EAR 99 export approved Heavy-Fuel UAV Engine, is expanding the availability of the engine to a global scale. The NW-230 is the next commercially available EAR-99 approved propulsion system in Northwest UAV’s family of engines which also includes the NW-44 and NW-88.

The NW-230 EFI HF engine is designed for 90-160 kg aircraft. It is purpose-built to operate on heavy-fuel (JP5/JP8/TS-1/Jet A). The NW-230 uses combat-proven components derived from the NW-44 and NW-88 engine systems in operation at TRL9 on several airframes worldwide. The NW-230 is an excellent choice for companies looking for an Aviation Grade, turn-key, cost-effective solution for their aircraft.

Initial operational capability orders for NW-230 engine systems are being issued with deliveries in Q1 of 2024 for multiple UAV platforms.

To discuss the NW-230 options in person you can find us October 9 – 11 at AUSA Annual Meeting & Exposition, Booth #540.

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June 1, 2023 | McMinnville, OR: Northwest UAV is proud to announce that its newest heavy-fuel UAV engine (NW-230) has received EAR 99 export approval, expanding market reach on a global scale. Export Administration Regulations, commonly known as (EAR), administered by the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, control most US exports of products considered strategically significant. The NW-230 is the next commercially available EAR-99 approved propulsion system in Northwest UAV’s family of engines which also includes the NW-44 and NW-88, meaning it will not require an export license in most situations.

The NW-230 EFI HF engine is designed for 90-160 kg aircraft. It is purpose-built to operate on heavy fuel (JP5/JP8/TS-1/Jet A), which results in higher efficiencies vs. converting or utilizing gas engine components to run on heavy fuel. Additionally, the NW-230 uses combat-proven sub-system components derived from the NW-44 and NW-88 that are in operation (TRL9) on several airframes worldwide. Therefore, the NW-230 is an excellent choice for companies looking for an Aviation Grade, turn-key, cost-effective solution for their aircraft.

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April 29, 2023 | McMinnville, OR: Integrated on Skyways V2.6 cargo aircraft, Northwest UAV’s NW-88 Engine was a key differentiator for Skyways during their successful demonstration at the Navy’s Bluewater competition late last year at Webster Field in Pax River, MD. “Working alongside the Skyways team as they march forward to provide a cargo solution that meets the Navy’s stringent reliability requirements, among them a must- have heavy fuel engine that operates on JP5, has been a privilege,” said Chris Harris, President, and Owner of NWUAV. “It has always been our company’s mission to support the warfighter and this project in particular is exciting. As Skyways works to solve capability gaps in critical delivery methods, we in turn have been working on continuous improvements to make the V2.6 as plug-and-play as possible.” As a result, the latest upgrade to the most recent Skyways orders for the NW-88 is the integration of a remote start capability and an updated battery charging system and generator.

These updated remote start capabilities simplify operations, allowing the “Start” command to come directly from the pilot. Improving UAS capabilities, the eVTOL lift battery pack recharges during steady-cruise flight, allowing for multiple destination missions without battery swaps. “Integrating remote-start and battery-charging capabilities into the engine reduces the amount of GSE required when interfacing with the aircraft. With these system upgrades, operator interface with the NW-88 is boiled down to adding fuel (if needed), allowing the operator to focus on the importance of the task at hand – managing the mission.” …

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October 3, 2022 | McMinnville, OR: After beginning the program early this year and producing a concept prototype just this last May, Northwest UAV (NWUAV) is proud to announce the completion of the first test runs on its newest engine, the NW-230 multi-fuel twin-cylinder UAV engine.

Following the successes of the NW-44 and NW-88 multi-fuel UAV engines, the NW-230 is set to fill other mission gaps in the maturing UAS industry. The NW-230 engine is designed to offer endurance and reliability to Group III UAVs, which are increasingly being used for commercial and military purposes. While organizations are still trying to field hobby-grade engines, NWUAV President and Owner Chris Harris continues to employ his extensive background in manned aviation to produce aviation-grade solutions…

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April 20, 2022 | McMinnville, OR: Northwest UAV (NWUAV) is proud to be a part of the team bringing the United Kingdom Royal Air Force (RAF) the energy-efficient solution of the Skylark 3 Hybrid. Equipped with a hybrid propulsion system featuring NWUAV’s NW-44 Multi-Fuel Engine alongside an electric motor, the Skylark 3 Hybrid Small Tactical Unmanned Aerial System (STUAS) has tripled in endurance, without altering the size and weight of the aircraft. Offering up to 18 hours of operations, the Skylark 3 Hybrid offers RAF a more environmentally responsible UAV to help them achieve future capability ambitions.…

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March 21, 2022 | McMinnville, OR: Northwest UAV (NWUAV) is proud to announce a collaborative and long-term effort with Elbit Systems as part of the Skylark 3 Hybrid team. As a result of this team effort, the Elbit Systems Skylark 3, equipped with the proven Northwest UAV NW-44 Multi-Fuel Engine, was presented for the first time at the Singapore Airshow last month. The Skylark 3 Small Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems (STUAS) is equipped with a hybrid propulsion system consisting of both an electric motor and the NW-44 multi-fuel internal combustion engine. This combination triples the aircraft's endurance and offers up to 18 hours of operations, with no impact on the size or weight, significantly increasing mission effectiveness…

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January 13, 2022 | McMinnville, OR: Integrated on five separate aircraft, Northwest UAV’s NW-88 Engine has completed flight testing with several of the aircraft, accruing hundreds of flight hours throughout 2021. With continued-development test flights for all aircraft planned in 2022 and initial field deployments scheduled, these numbers are set to significantly increase through the year.

“Listening to the industry and our contacts in defense organizations, we learned that certain missions weren’t being flown,” said Chris Harris, President and Owner of NWUAV. “ Not because they aren’t significant missions, but because they didn’t have the appropriate engine…

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