I have retired from Suzuki, but he didn't retire from motorcycles. Aviation has continued to develop
Former Suzuki engineer Kunio Arase has some interesting news for the engineer. It's called AZ-1000 and it's not a battery-powered electric drone, launched by co-representatives Yoshihiro Aizawa and Kunio Arase at Fifth Nagoya Robodex Exhibition on October 26, 2022. It is a self-built unmanned aerial vehicle powered by a 1000cc inline -four engine built entirely from GSX-R parts.
Arase has built motorcycle-powered drones before. The previous one had the AZ-500, which he had built in 2021 using parts from two GSX-R 250 engines. The plan included an oil-cooled engine, which he felt was crucial. It was a success for the company's drone.
A motorcycle engine used in a drone requires different considerations than one optimized for practical use. He tells Young Machine that two of the most critical issues will be weight reduction and reducing the drone's energy consumption. Internal details of the drone have yet to be revealed, but he says it will be built using a modular approach. Flying and vibrations must also be reduced.
The drone is powered by gasoline. Despite this, the runtime estimates are roughly 11 times that of existing battery-powered drones. In terms of size and weight, it is comparable. Even if the AZ-1000 is a combustion-powered vehicle, it's not unusual. The full specs of the vehicle haven't been released yet.
It is common to see helicopters that can only be maneuvered in the engine compartment on a daily basis. Aizawa estimates that a helicopter with a man on board uses 400 liters of fuel per hour, while the AZ-500 drone uses less. In the past, it used only 8 liters of fuel per hour.
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