UAV Engines, Autopilots & Servo Actuators | UAV Design, Development & Testing Services

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Northwest UAV is a leader in UAV propulsion system design, manufacturing and integration, and is now America’s first one-stop UAV Shop.

Founded in 2005, we have a reputation for providing reliable, cost effective, and innovative UAV engine and support system solutions – both custom and COTS.

Today, we design, manufacture, build-to-print, repair, ground test and flight test UAVs in our own FAA-designated airspace. We safely and effectively manage all aspects of UAV engine development, from initial concept design through production and flight testing, and beyond to maintenance and overhauls. AS9100/ISO9001 Certified.

UAV Engines – Heavy-Fuel, Aviation-Grade

For a reliable, heavy-fuel engine that optimizes fuel efficiency and maintenance, NWUAV has your off-the-shelf solution. Rely on our experienced team and American made propulsion solutions for easy integration, unmatched durability, and maximum endurance.

NW-44 Heavy-Fuel Engine

Designed and manufactured by NWUAV, the NW-44 Heavy-Fuel Engine supports aircraft in the 18 to 34 kg (40-75 lb) weight class. This combat-proven propulsion system has logged over 20000 flight hours, supporting a variety of missions. The NW-44 is designed to easily fit customer horsepower, electrical output, and overall weight requirements.

This American-made, aviation-grade, heavy-fuel engine sets the standard in its weight class for fuel efficiency, ease of maintenance, and reliability. Learn more >

NW-88 Heavy-Fuel Engine

Designed and manufactured by NWUAV, the NW-88 Heavy-Fuel Engine supports aircraft in the 34 to 68 kg (75-150 lb) weight class.

Easily configured for a broad range of aircraft, the NW-88 offers the best power-to-weight ratio, supporting higher climb rates, larger payloads, and faster cruise speeds. This American-made, aviation-grade, heavy-fuel engine is designed for unmatched fuel efficiency, ease of maintenance, and reliability. Learn more >

NW-230 Heavy-Fuel UAV Engine

Purpose-built for Group III UAS, the American-made NW-230 multi-fuel engine features an excellent power-to-weight ratio, enabling longer endurance, faster speeds and heavier payloads.

Based on our combat-proven NW-4 and NW-88 engines, the NW-230 Heavy-Fuel Engine supports aircraft in the 90 to 160 kg (198-352 lb) weight class. The high-reliability NW-230 has been engineered to provide increased engine life, improved maintenance cycles, and reduced fuel burn. It runs on a variety of fuels including non-ethanol 93-100 octane gasoline (R+M)/2, Jet-A, JP-5, JP-8, and TS-1. EAR-99 approved. Learn more >

Heavy-Fuel Aviation-Grade UAV Engines >

Engineering Design & Development Services

Thorough testing, pragmatic design solutions, and a comprehensive engineering perspective – the NWUAV engineering team focuses on propulsion design and development that takes an aviation-grade, lifecycle approach.

Rely on NWUAV’s team of engineers for a comprehensive, lifecycle approach to engine design and development. With a diverse, experienced engineering team that includes mechanical, electrical, and aerospace engineers, customers rely on NWUAV engineering for thorough testing, pragmatic design solutions, and a comprehensive engineering perspective. As an AS9100 certified operation, NWUAV’s engineering team designs to aviation-grade standards, specializing in heavy-fuel propulsion with new capabilities in hydrogen power system design and development.

With attention to manufacturability and an emphasis on low impact maintainability, NWUAV’s team of engineers consider the impact of engine design well before your unmanned system is in the air and far after it lands on the ground. Integration, customization, testing – NWUAV’s engineering team has the expertise and equipment to support your propulsion project effectively and efficiently.

Learn more: Engineering Design & Development Services

Build-to-Print Manufacturing – Specializing in UAS

UAV Engine Manufacturing

NWUAV has the expertise and the AS9100D|ISO9001 certified facility to manufacture and assemble UAV engines and components for your unmanned system.

With integrated solutions including an electrical and wire harness shop, machine shop, 3d printing facility, and a full-stack engineering team, and a robust supply chain developed over 15+ years in business tailored specifically to unmanned systems, NWUAV is uniquely equipped to reduce lead times and quickly integrate design changes into production. As a manufacturing facility that makes NWUAV’s own aviation-grade heavy-fuel engines alongside a variety of components, wire harnesses, and custom engines, NWUAV is capable of supporting the production of a variety of UAV engines and sub-systems.

Learn more: Build-to-Print UAS Manufacturing

UAS Hardware

Autopilots & Actuators

Precision and reliability – Pegasus Servo Actuators and Embention’s Veronte Autopilots are the UAS hardware for seeing you through tough missions in challenging environments.

Pegasus Servo Actuators

Where exceptional precision and reliability are imperative, Pegasus Servo Actuators are the aviation-grade choice for your UAS. With a wide variety of industrial and redundant actuators to choose from, whether your maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) is as little as 30 lbs or as great as 1000 lbs., all Pegasus Actuators have shown proven performance in environmentally demanding environments. Offering COTS or customized solutions, there’s a Pegasus actuator for every application. Learn more >

Embention Veronte Autopilots

With fully autonomous control for almost any unmanned vehicle, including hybrid VTOL, multirotor and fixed-wing, it’s clear why Veronte autopilots are the flight controller’s choice for professional unmanned systems control. Beyond being easy to use and integrate, Veronte autopilots are DO-178B / ED-12, DO-254B, and DO-160 and IP67 Compliant. Choose the Veronte Autopilot, kit, and/or accessories for your application, and integrate, train, and flight test at NWUAV. Learn more >

UAS Autopilots and Actuators >

Products

NW-88 Heavy-Fuel UAV Engine

Heavy-fuel, 2-stroke engine with fuel injection for UAVs in the 34 to 68 kg (75-150 lb) weight class

NW-230 EFI Multi-Fuel UAV Engine

Designed for Increased Engine Life, Improved Maintenance Cycles, Endurance, and Reduced Fuel Burn.

NW-44 Heavy-Fuel UAV Engine

Heavy-fuel, 2-stroke engine with fuel injection for UAVs in the 18 to 34 kg (40-75 lb) weight class

Articles

Latest Flight Operations Begin for Northwest UAV Engine Northwest UAV’s heavy-fuel NW-230 engine has reached a Technical Readiness Level of 7 for flying in an operational environment under end-user mission control 10 Oct 2023

Heavy-Fuel UAV Engine Receives US State Department Export Approval Purpose-built, Northwest UAV’s NW-230 engine offers endurance and reliability to Group III UAVs for commercial and military operations 02 Jun 2023

Northwest UAV Engine Powers Cargo Drone at US Navy Bluewater Competition Northwest UAV’s NW-88 engine successfully supported Skyways’ V2.6 unmanned cargo aircraft during beyond the horizon ship-to-shore, shore-to-ship critical missions 03 Apr 2023