Hybrid UAV propulsion systems: How internal combustion engines and generators are pushing the boundaries of electric flight systems

Greater range, higher payloads, and longer flight times for demanding UAV missions

Longer flight times, greater operational ranges, more powerful sensor systems, and higher payloads are among the most important development goals for many UAV manufacturers today. At the same time, despite their high efficiency and ease of control, purely electric propulsion systems are increasingly reaching their physical limits due to the limited energy density of today’s battery systems. Hybrid UAV propulsion systems offer a technically mature solution to this challenge. They combine the high energy density of liquid fuels with the advantages of electric propulsion systems. The result is flight platforms that enable significantly longer mission times, can carry larger payloads, and at the same time benefit from the precise control capabilities of electric propulsion systems. Sky Power has developed integrated hybrid propulsion systems specifically for this application, combining an internal combustion engine, a generator, control electronics, and a cooling system into a single compact unit. This results in high-performance power supply systems for modern UAV platforms that demonstrate their strengths particularly in long-range missions, VTOL applications, and sensor-intensive operations.