Trek Aerospace OAV-II (concept design)

(Image credit: Trek Aerospace)

OAV-II (concept design)
Trek Aerospace, Inc.
Folsom, California, USA
www.trekaero.com

Trek Aerospace, Inc. is a small engineering company based in Folsom, California, USA. Founded on March 18, 1996 as “Millennium Jet, Inc.”, the company changed their name to Trek Aerospace on July 3, 2002 because people thought the company was building jets. To clarify, SoloTrek was a name for certain models of Trek Aerospace's aircraft. SoloTrek was never the name of the company. The company is dedicated to understanding and improving shrouded propeller performance and efficiency. In the process, they developed their own proprietary CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) software, TASPA (Trek Aerospace Shrouded Propeller Analysis).

The company has stated all of their aircraft designs are very flexible when it comes to scalability, electric motors used, propeller types and the type of power source used. That is, all previous conventionally powered aircraft the company has created can be converted to eVTOL aircraft and can be updated with the latest in avionics, electronics, propellers and electric (all batteries or hybrid-electric) power sources. All of the company's aircraft have been designed for advanced air mobility (AAM).

The company has designed and made multiple vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft including its exoskeleton backpack "helicopters" using shrouded propellers in the airframe design. Some articles refer to the exoskeleton backpack helicopter as a jetpack, even though there are no jet engines involved in the backpack aircraft. The company has also designed and made watercraft. Trek Aerospace also assists and teams with other companies, large and small, in the design, fabrication, and licensing of projects involving shrouded propellers and/or autonomous control systems. For example, Trek Aerospace built XTI Aircraft Company's TriFan subscale proof of concept (POC) aircraft.

Trek Aerospace Shrouded Propeller Analysis
Testing at NASA and university wind tunnels has validated the accuracy of the Trek Aerospace Shrouded Propeller Analysis (TASPA). Flight testing of both crewed and uncrewed vehicles has further verified the real-world applications of Trek’s technology. The company states their core technology has the highest specific thrust (lb/kW) in the industry. Aircraft designed by Trek define the efficiency curve used in the UBER Elevate white paper.

This efficiency allows aircraft to carry more weight in a smaller footprint. According to the company, their shrouded propellers require less power, use fewer batteries, have a greater payload and have a farther range than other battery powered aircraft. Furthermore, the company states their shrouded propellers have outperformed similar free propellers to airspeeds in excess of 230 mph (371 km/h), negating much of the drag penalty associated with ducted propellers.

OAV-II uncrewed heavy-lift military surveillance hybrid-electric VTOL concept design drone
The OAV-II is scalable uncrewed heavy-lift military all-weather reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition (RSTA) hybrid-electric VTOL concept design drone. Civilian versions were also designed. One design was a remotely piloted crop dusting drone which would takeoff from the back of a pick-up truck. OAV = Organic Air Vehicle.

In 2004, Trek Aerospace teamed with Draper Laboratory, Mustang Technology and Lockheed Martin Systems Integration Company, to propose a Class II uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) system which would meet and exceed DARPA's OAV-II goals for an all-weather reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition (RSTA) vehicle. The surveillance drone was based on Trek Aerospace's previous SoloTrek XFV, Sprintail EFV and Oviwun.

The estimated maximum speed of the drone was 103 mph (167 km/h) with a calculated maximum flight time of 3.6 hours. The predicted maximum altitude of the aircraft was 11,000 ft (3,350 m). The aircraft had two counter-rotation ducted counter-rotating propellers, two electric motors and powered by a 38 hp rotary engine. 

The planned empty weight of the drone was 90 lb (142 kg), with a forecasted maximum payload weight of 37 lb (16.8 kg), a projected fuel weight of 12 lb (5.2 kg) with a targeted maximum payload of 400 lb (181 kg). The aircraft had fixed skid landing gear.

The military OAV-II can be outfitted with many typed of sensors such as detect and avoid instruments, cameras, infrared and other sensors needed, depending upon the mission of the aircraft. The aircraft can also hold several types of cargo containers. The aircraft can also lift loads using external sling loads.

The aircraft is streamlined and has a small footprint, useful for landing on small vertiports, unprepared landing areas such as a grassy field, on a road or in the back of a pick-up truck. In addition, the small size of the aircraft is very useful for storage in hangars, a garage or tents. The small size of the aircraft also makes the aircraft easy to transport by trucks, ships, helicopters or airplanes.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: Heavy-lift military surveillance hybrid-electric VTOL concept design drone
• Piloting: Remote (future autonomous)
• Capacity: Surveillance or air cargo
• Maximum speed: 103 mph (167 km/h)
• Maximum flight time: 3.6 hours
• Maximum altitude: 11,000 ft (3,350 m)
• Empty weight: 90 lb (41 kg)
• Maximum payload weight: 37 lb (16.8 kg)
• Fuel weight: 12 lb (5.2 kg)
• Maximum payload: 139 lb (63 kg)
• Propellers: 2 ducted propellers
• Electric Motors: 2 electric motors
• Power source: Hybrid-electric
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
• Landing gear: Fixed skid type landing gear

Related Aircraft:

• Trek Aerospace Dragonfly (prototype)
• Trek Aerospace DuoTrek 1.0 (concept design)
• Trek Aerospace DuoTrek 2.0 (concept design)
• Trek Aerospace Elesi (concept design)
• Trek Aerospace FlyKart 1 (prototype)
• Trek Aerospace FlyKart 2 (prototype)
• Trek Aerospace FlyKart 3 (prototype)
• Trek Aerospace LogDrone (concept design)
• Trek Aerospace Mule (concept design)
• Trek Aerospace Nightingale (concept design)
• Trek Aerospace Nytngale (concept design)
• Trek Aerospace OVIWUN (production model)
• Trek Aerospace Scorpion (concept design)
• Trek Aerospace SoloTrek Springtail EFV (prototype)
• Trek Aerospace SoloTrek XFV (prototype)
• Trek Aerospace SoloTrek XFVC (concept design)
• Trek Aerospace SoloTrek XFVM (concept design)
• Trek Aerospace TERN (concept design)
• Trek Aerospace Tyrannos (concept design)

Company Insights:

• Crunchbase

Resources:

• Trek Aerospace website
• Trek Aerospace Twitter
• Trek Aerospace LinkedIn
• Trek Aerospace Wikipedia
• Article: DARPA Picks Three Vendors For Organic Air Vehicle-II, Aero News Network, Dec. 8, 2004