Startup Wave Engine Corp. has launched an experimental drone equipped with a pulsed jet engine, a type of power plant with few moving parts, as opposed to a conventional turbine, that promises low-cost jet performance.

Wave Engine testing involved the Scitor-D drone, a conventional takeoff and landing design that resembles a scaled-down copy of the A-10 attack aircraft, with a total weight of approximately 45 kg, a maximum payload of 9 kg. .

Scitor-D is part of a series of drones with external motors mounted on top. This configuration was chosen to ensure the simplicity of the vehicle and minimize development and production costs.

In the demonstration flight, the drone was powered by a jet jet engine that developed a thrust of just over 22 kg. The flight sequence began with a remote takeoff, followed by takeoff, climb and landing.

The company also claims to have developed engines that could develop a train with a force of up to 113 kg. According to Wave Engine, this would be enough to power a drone, rocket or aircraft with a full mass of up to 450 kg.

The Wave Engine demonstrated “multiple” launches of thruster jet engines in the air and operated its engines at flight speeds of up to 320 km/h, “limited only by the practical limits of the test stand.” Further testing of the Scitor-D is now planned, which the company says is “focused on the continued expansion of flight range and testing conditions.”

The company also demonstrated pusher jet engines using different fuels: gasoline/gasoline (87 octane), kerosene-based fuel (Jet-A/JP-8) and environmentally friendly ethanol-based biofuel (E85).

The high speeds provided by pulse jet engines are a major factor in their favor, especially when compared to the motorized propellers often found on many small military drones.

“We continue to expand our performance and flying capabilities. We have been working to harness the power of sound and fire for years and believe this will change the industry,” said Daanish Maqbool, CEO of Wave Engine. Source