The new version of the Albatroz, a military drone developed by Stella Tecnologia, will be able to carry out missions at an altitude of 40,000 feet (around 12,000 meters).
The information comes from the manufacturer’s founder and CEO, Gilberto Buffara, who is taking part in this week’s BID Brazil Exhibition in Brasilia.
Originally equipped with a combustion engine, the Albatroz has been given a prototype with turbines developed with 100% national technology by Aero Concepts, Stella Tecnologia’s partner in the project.
The new configuration will allow the aircraft to reach a speed of 250 km/h in critical missions that demand high performance and range.
“It will be able to fly at altitudes higher than Mount Everest [the world’s highest mountain, located in the Himalayas, at 8,849 meters high],” said Buffara.
The Albatross is one of the highlights of the BID Brazil Exhibition, which runs until Friday (6) at the Ulysses Guimarães Convention Center. The aircraft is on display at the stand of Aero Concepts, the turbine manufacturer (South Wing, S41 and S43).
On Tuesday (3), the Minister of Defense, José Múcio Monteiro, visited the space and learned about the details of the project.
Versatility
The Albatroz was developed by Stella Tecnologia to transport sensors, radars and small missiles.
With a length of 4 meters and a wingspan of 7 meters, it stands out for its versatility. It can be operated on runways less than 150 meters long, including boats, carrying loads of between 6kg and 50kg – its maximum take-off weight (MTOW) is 200kg.
“The Albatroz was designed to carry out missions from the Multipurpose Aerodrome Ship Atlântico, following the specifications of the Brazilian Navy [which will receive the first prototype],” said the CEO of Stella Tecnologia.
“The aircraft’s configuration makes it possible, for example, to inspect long stretches of sea and land. And with a small flight platform that is easy to operate and transport,” he said, noting that the military drone has topography sensors.
New Albatross
The new version of the aircraft was made possible thanks to Stella Tecnologia’s partnership with Aero Concepts, announced in April this year during FIDAE, an international trade fair held in Chile.
This is the first time that turbines developed 100% in Brazil have been applied to smaller flight platforms, such as medium and large drones, a milestone in the national defense industry.
“They are 500 newton turbines. This technology has already been used in Brazilian missiles, but had not yet been applied to an unmanned aircraft,” said Buffara.
“For this new configuration, it was necessary to recalculate, for example, the consumption of the engine. The turbine is lighter and more powerful, but it consumes more energy than the combustion engine. The aircraft’s temperature control was also adapted for this version.”
The next stage of the project is certification with ANAC (National Civil Aviation Agency). Flight tests are expected to take place in early 2025.
“As we have already received authorization for tests with the combustion engine, I think the process will be quicker. It’s the same aircraft. All that’s changed is the propulsion system,” said the CEO of Stella Tecnologia.
“This new version of the Albatroz is also a test platform. From it, we’re going to launch other aircraft with various applications, including loitering munitions [also known as suicide drones],” he added.
“With this same turbine, we’ll be able to develop versions capable of flying at up to 700 km/h.”
The Albatroz is the second largest UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) manufactured in Brazil. The first is the Atobá, also developed by Stella Tecnologia, with a length of 8 meters, a wingspan of 11 meters and a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 500kg – due to its characteristics, it requires larger runways, 400 meters long.
About Stella Tecnologia
Founded in 2015 in Duque de Caxias (RJ), Stella Tecnologia develops large unmanned aircraft for civilian and military use.
Its aeronautical projects use state-of-the-art, highly configurable resources to meet a wide range of operational requirements for tactical and strategic missions, using the best sensors and subsystems, chosen with impartiality, to compose integrated systems of the highest performance and reliability.
About Aero Concepts
Aero Concepts is a Strategic Defense Company (SDC).
It operates in the market for projects, consultancy and services in turbomachinery applied to power generation with thermal plants, control system projects and test benches for the industrial and aerospace sectors, as well as being a manufacturer and supplier of turbine technology for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
It is an official partner in the development and manufacture of turbines applied to propulsion systems for the FAB (Brazilian Air Force).
In the field of solid propulsion for rockets and thrusters, Aero Concepts has a partnership with the Klumpen group working on the development, testing and production of rockets, boosters, war heads and missiles.
Founded in January 2016, it has units in Ribeirão Preto and São José dos Campos, in the state of São Paulo.