SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.
DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat has said India’s Tactical Advanced Platform for Aerial Surveillance (TAPAS) Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV will be flying in the next two months on Vehicles Research Development Establishment (VRDE) developed 180 hp diesel engine that will replace current 177 HP Austro 330EP engines used on the Tapas.
idrw.org has been told at the Aero India 2023 that One of the Tapas Prototype already has been integrated with the indigenous 180 hp diesel engine and that Tapas has even commenced slow and fast Taxi trials.
180 hp diesel engine developed by the VRDE weighs only 270 kg in an installed configuration that has been developed in partnership with a Private sector company, Jayem Automotives which specializes in converting existing and proven automotive engines into aircraft diesel engines.
CVRDE is also working on Indigenous higher-powered 220 HP diesel engines for a newer variant of the Tapas that also will be used on the Archer-NG Weaponizes Male UAV.
NOTE : Article cannot be reproduced without written permission of idrw.org in any form even for YouTube Videos to avoid Copy right strikes