32 you more from that point of view. But like everything in engineering work, it’s a matter of trade-offs.” One area in which they had to be particularly careful is the use of carbon fibre, which is a strong reflector of radar energy because of its electrical conductivity, while potential alternatives such as glass and aramid fibres are better in this respect but have lower strengthto-weight ratios. Mitigation of the reflectivity of structural materials is one of the key applications of radar-absorbing coatings, and this is an active area of r&d for Tekever, although it is inevitably a sensitive subject. “There are very interesting new types of materials coming out of r&d that we are already experimenting with,” says Nunes. “It is too soon to be sure how they will perform operationally, but from a technical point of view in the lab, they’re very promising.” Mendes says that the material they are working on is at technologyreadiness level 7, adding that “metamaterials are a fundamental area of research for us right now.” In terms of their overall approach to structure and materials, they are naturally still focused on advanced composites, but with the Mk9, they have taken everything they have learned and pushed it further. Nunes emphasises that they are using the best composite materials available; some developed locally, some sourced from further afield. He adds that it’s not just about the materials – it’s about applying hard-won experience to simplify the design, which is tricky because true simplicity in aerospace structures is counterintuitively complex to achieve. Autoclave-cured prepregs Every part of the aircraft – the wings, fuselage and other structural components – has been optimised to eliminate unnecessary weight and complexity, he says. Tekever is working with autoclave-cured carbon fibre prepregs because they provide the best fibre–resin ratio. But material choice is commensurate with design philosophy, and there they have focused on putting material only where it’s needed. Carbon fibre is used extensively, but it is not always appropriate. “Where we need RF transparency, we’ll use glass fibre. For components that need impact resistance or specific wear properties, we’ll go with aramid. Every material decision is driven by the function of the part in question.” When it comes to resins, they consider them as elements of the pre-preg material, which they judge in the light of the performance they need from the composite rather than the resin itself. “So, it needs to work with our autoclaves, with the pressure and the temperatures we are using.” Flexible, modular propulsion The flexibility that Tekever is engineering into the AR3 Mk9 also extends to propulsion systems. Nunes explains that the company develops its own powerplants based on commercially available engine cores and energy sources. Their approach focuses on missionspecific optimisation, which can mean prioritising speed, altitude or endurance, for example. Each requirement demands different power characteristics, so they tailor the system accordingly, balancing performance with fuel efficiency. This has led Tekever to support multiple energy sources to meet operational needs, including batteries and liquid fuels, with the latter encompassing gasoline and heavy fuels such as JP5, JP8 and Jet-A. Tekever has a high level of vertical integration, which extends to the ability to customise solutions around commercially available engine cores, evaluating and validating them and then developing in-house all the ancillary systems, such as ignition, fuel injection and engine management systems. Core engine manufacturers they have been working with include 3W, Desert Aircraft, Hirth and ZDZ. Deep system integration knowledge enables the engineering team to match powerplants to operational requirements precisely, according to Mendes. Payload support is closely tied to the selected propulsion configuration, Nunes explains. “The amount of electrical power available depends on the power plant chosen for a specific setup,” he says. For standard intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) configurations with high-end sensors, the platform provides up to 500 W of electrical power – enough to support even some Group 3 payloads, not just those typically found on Group 2 aircraft. On the data side, the system architecture is Ethernet-based, offering August/September 2025 | Uncrewed Systems Technology The front-mounted engine and inverted V-tail are key recognition points of the AR3 Evolution. The V-tail and two removable legs serve as the undercarriage when the aircraft operates in VTOL mode
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjI2Mzk4