Today Airbus announced the selection of the Catalyst, proposed by Avio Aero for the propulsion of the remotely piloted aircraft Eurodrone. The agreement provides for the supply of 120 engines and related maintenance and service.
“We are honored to have been selected by Airbus to power the new Eurodrone”, declared Riccardo Procacci, CEO and General Manager of Avio Aero and GE Aviation Turboprop. “It is a great achievement for the growth and autonomy of the entire European aviation industry, as well as for those who have worked at the Catalyst in recent years. We have invested in people, resources and infrastructure to start supporting the program right away and our teams across Europe are ready to get to work. "
The work of the engineers on the Catalyst and the entire production chain are and will remain in the European eco-system. The sites involved in the program are: Avio Aero in Italy and Poland, GE Aviation Turboprop (in the Czech Republic), GE Aviation Advanced Technology in Munich (Germany) and the GE Engineering Design Center in Warsaw (Poland). The Catalyst is a 100% ITAR-free (International Traffic in Arms Regulation) engine and will be fully certified in Europe.
Eurodrone is a MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) class remotely piloted aircraft with versatile and adaptable capabilities. Its features make it the perfect platform for ISTAR missions (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance) or for national security operations.
The Catalyst, which in its civilian version is facing two flight campaigns, is the first turboprop in the history of aviation with components made through additive manufacturing, which ensure lower weight and greater efficiency to the engine. Thanks to the best-in-class 16: 1 compression ratio, the Catalyst delivers up to 20% lower fuel consumption, 10% more cruising power and load capacity and up to three more hours of battery life. a typical UAV mission, compared to competing engines in the same category. The FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control), present on the Catalyst, simplifies the integration between the propeller, which will be made by the German MT-Propeller, and the avionics.
