The US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has introduced a new flying-wing drone project that utilizes hybrid electric propulsion, converting fuel into electricity.
This project, part of DARPA’s four-year-old Series Hybrid Electric Propulsion AiRcraft Demonstration (SHEPARD) program, aims to conduct the maiden flight of the XRQ-73 by the end of this year.
The drone is designed to be “rapidly fieldable” and belongs to Group 3, weighing approximately 1,250 pounds (567 kilograms).
Northrop Grumman leads the program as its prime contractor, supported by suppliers such as Scaled Composites, Cornerstone Research Group, Brayton Energy, PC Krause and Associates, and EaglePicher Technologies.
The DARPA team collaborating on the project includes members from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and the Office of Naval Research.
Group 3 drones typically operate at altitudes below 18,000 feet (5,486 meters) and speeds ranging from 100 to 250 knots (185 to 463 kilometers per hour or 115 to 288 miles per hour).
“The idea behind a DARPA X-prime program is to take emerging technologies and burn down system-level integration risks to quickly mature a new missionized long endurance aircraft design that can be fielded quickly,” SHEPARD program manager Steve Komadina said.
“The SHEPARD program is maturing a specific propulsion architecture and power class as an exemplar of potential benefits for the Department of Defense,” Komadina added.
The SHEPARD program builds upon hybrid technologies and components derived from the earlier Great Horned Owl (GHO) project managed by AFRL and Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA).
Initiated in 2011 under the designation XRQ-72, the GHO program aimed to create a reconnaissance drone with reduced acoustic signature and enhanced payload and endurance capabilities. Its propulsion system was designed for quiet operation, utilizing electric propulsion where electricity is generated from liquid hydrocarbon fuels like gasoline or diesel.
According to the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, the focus of GHO’s Phase 1 included developing (1) fuel-to-electricity devices using advanced combustion engines directly linked to alternator/generator concepts, and (2) electricity-to-thrust devices employing innovative electric motor-driven propulsor systems.