Turkey Unveils New UAV Engine, VTOL Drone

Turkish engine producer Erin Motor on Thursday introduced a new unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) while drone-maker Baykar launched a Vertical take-off drone at the Teknofest event in Istanbul on Thursday.

The firm showcased two types of UAV engines, 6-hp and 11-hp, which can be used in vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAVs with wingspans of up to five meters (16.4 feet) for a wide range of drones and related payloads.

Baykar tested Erin Motor’s UAV engine, and his firm hopes that Baykar will choose it for its new VTOL UAVs, he said.

In Addition, Baykar unveiled for the first time its newly designed drone that can hover, take off and land vertically at Teknofest. The flight tests of the VTOL drone are due to be completed soon. Mass production and delivery phases are expected to start in 2022.

The UAV takes off using its four electric engines, then flies using its internal combustion engine.

Thanks to its hybrid engine system, the UAV can fly up to 12 hours, with its engine charging the vehicle’s battery while in flight.

It has a take-off weight is 50 kilograms (110 pounds) and can carry 5 kilograms of useful loads, like thermal cameras, laser designators or distance meters.