Primoco UAV SE announces new engine for unmanned aircraft

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Primoco UAV SE, which is a Czech company that develops, manufactures and sells the Primoco UAV One 100/150, has announced its new “self-designed” Primoco 500 piston engine, which is designed for the company's unmanned aircraft, but can also be used by other aircraft manufacturers as well.

Developed by the company in nine months, the Primoco 500 is made of light aluminium alloy, and is an “air-cooled four-cylinder engine with a power output of 50 HP and a weight of 15 kg.”

According to Primoco UAV SE CEO Ladislav Semetkovský, the idea behind the development of the engine was largely born out of necessity, as the company’s newest aircraft, the Primoco UAV One 150, required a more powerful engine than the one that the Primoco UAV One 100 uses, which is a 20 HP engine.

“The lack of appropriate engines in the global market led us to develop and produce the engine ourselves,” Semetkovský says.

“We knew what we required from the engine. The engine combines the necessary performance, reliability and long service life while maintaining compact dimensions and excellent weight.”

Primoco UAV SE plans on offering the engine to customers starting in the fourth quarter of 2017, and already, several manufacturers of experimental and unmanned aircraft have expressed interest in it.

The company estimates that 50-100 pieces will be produced a year.