Renishaw, HiETA & nTopology Support Cobra Aero in the Design, Development and Production of a Novel UAV Engine

Cobra Aero, a successful producer of two-stroke engines for UAV applications approached Renishaw to understand how they could incorporate additive manufacturing into their existing manufacturing portfolio.

Cobra had a vision for the use of metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) in their business, and enlisted additional help from HiETA and nTopology to help drive the development of an innovative engine design.

Leveraging the design opportunities of AM and the expertise of the partners involved, Cobra have devised a pioneering and extremely performant new engine design.

Moreover, Cobra have explored the applications space including production of tooling, complex componentry and highly customized components in their sister motorcycle business, Cobra Moto.

Primary Topics: • Design for Manufacture • Aerospace Design • Complex Structures for Heat Exchange • Product Innovation and Testing Speaker: Kevin Brigden Additive Applications Engineer, Renishaw

Kevin has a master's degree in engineering with honors in motorsports engineering from the University of Central Lancashire, England. A member of a team of technical specialists, he brings a skill-set centered in computer-aided engineering (CAE) including computer-aided design (CAD), finite element analysis (FEA) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). During Kevin's time with Renishaw, he has led and consulted on numerous design projects in collaboration with partners and customers from aerospace, automotive, space and defense and medical engineering. Kevin is at the forefront of the design for additive manufacture (DfAM) movement, with many of his characteristic and innovative designs widely recognized and imitated.

More info:

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COBRA: Submarine Hunting Sensor

The US Navy's MQ-8B Fire Scout VTUAV will soon operate an advanced sensor named Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis (COBRA), that will give it increased ability to detect and destroy enemy mines and submarines from LCSs (Littoral Combat Ships).

In words of Capt. Jeff Dodge, Fire Scout program manager, “COBRA is currently in Initial Operational Test and Evaluation on the MQ-8B and is projected to reach Initial Operational Capability this year.” COBRA’s primary function will be detecting mines and submarines while keeping the LCS and its crew at a safe distance: Given that the Littoral Combat Ships are engineered to use its shallow draft, speed and maneuverability to conduct combat operations in littoral waters near enemy coastlines, an improved technological capacity to find and detect enemy mines and submarines near the surface will expand its mission envelope and provide an extra protection for offensive ship operations.

The Navy is also integrating a new maritime search radar to its larger Fire Scout variant MQ-8C in order to extend its ISR capacity and provide better targeting support to nearby offensive operations. For this purpose, recently awarded Northrop Grumman a $32 million contract modification to conduct systems engineering, technical review and extensive testing of that new radar. ¿Return of Investment? Bearing in mind the existing EO/IR sensors on the MQ-8C have a range of 6-10 miles, and considering that the new maritime radar will find targets at ranges out to 80 miles, the ROI is undoubt.