Led by Wei-Hsiang Lai, director of advanced propulsion and power system research center at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) design team has invented Sky Fortress-III, the first turbo-jet robot aircraft.
This new innovation, capable of ensuring disaster prevention and typhoon surveillance, is an outstanding achievement in the robotic aviation of Taiwan.
According to President Hwung-Hweng Hwung of NCKU, the significant role of turbines in aircraft has been successfully validated. NCKU’s research team for aeronautics and astronautics will combine multiple research areas for UAV innovation. The specialty areas include environmental engineering, civil engineering, geomatics, earth sciences and water conservancy, which will be useful for scrutinizing surveillance and disaster prevention.
Designed by NCKU UAV team, Sky Fortress-III made its first appearance. It is a turbojet engine, advanced from OS91 methanol engine to King Tech K80. The aircraft weighs 7.5 kg with wind span in 3 m in the primary run at a speed of over 200 km/h and can reach up to 300 km/h on further upgrades.
Compactness of the turbojet engine is considered to be a major criterion in the development of strong propeller driven aircraft like Sky Fortress-III. The NCKU UAV design team has achieved the launch of turbojet engine in the unmanned aircraft.
King Tech K80 is an innovative engine incorporated in Sky Fortress-III. It was developed by professor Lai and Taiwan-based KingTech-Jet. It is widely preferred by UAV innovators worldwide.
Source: https://web.ncku.edu.tw/