MSU, WSU earn UAV Army grants

Washington State University associate professor Jacob Leachman of the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering has received a $1.8M grant from the Army to demonstrate a liquid hydrogen-powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and refueling system. The $7.2M total grant includes researchers from Mississippi State University (MSU), Insitu Inc., and Navmar Applied Sciences Corp. Insitu, a subsidiary of Boeing, will provide its ScanEagle3 UAV, equipped with a fuel cell-powered electric engine. MSU will measure performance characteristics of the drone. UAVs running on liquid hydrogen can fly longer and farther than UAVs running on batteries and require significantly less maintenance than gasoline-powered UAVs. They also produce water vapor as the only emission. Crucially for the Army, they are also quiet. (Source: Washington State University 07/18/19)