The Orbital UAV HFDI.50 is a compact two-stroke heavy fuel engine designed to be easily integrated into small drone airframes. Weighing just 3 kg and delivering 3.6 hp, it can run on JP5, JP8, Jet A, Jet A1, or gasoline with no re-tuning required across the entire altitude range. The engine's 340 g/kWh cruise efficiency and 500-hour TBO enable longer missions, greater payload flexibility, and reduced downtime.
The advanced propulsion system features Orbital’s FlexDI fuel injection technology, atomizing fuel to smaller droplets for a cleaner burn. FlexDI offers >30% lower cruise fuel use and high specific power, and also meets MIL-STD-1474D specifications for noise.
The real-world capabilities of the HFDI.50 have been rigorously proven, with over 250,000 service hours in the field. It is optimized to ensure low acoustic and thermal signatures, and starts reliably in environments from -30°C to +55°C.
Specifications:
| Weight: | ~5.2kg (includes ECU, mount, pumps, harness, propeller) |
| Power: | 3.6hp (2.7kW) @ 6500 RPM |
| Fuel Consumption (BSFC): | ~340 g/kWh @ typical cruise |
| Max Operating Altitude: | 20,000 ft AMSL |
| Operating Temperature: | -30 to 55 °C including start |
| TBO: | 500 hrs |
