UAV Propulsion Tech has established itself as a premier distributor of cutting-edge Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) technology for the U.S. market, from some of the world’s most innovative aerospace nations. Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, we specialize in marketing advanced UAV solutions from Germany, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, France, Israel, Czech Republic, Poland, India, Netherlands, Italy, and Estonia directly into the competitive U.S. UAV market.
We have a simple but impactful mission: to provide commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) and custom hardware solutions that are currently flying on several high-end global UAV platforms. Whether you are developing the next generation of commercial drones or advancing military UAV capabilities, UAV Propulsion Tech serves as your gateway to access world-class aerospace technology.
Powering Your Mission Forward
The propulsion system is the core of every successful UAV. It keeps the aircraft in flight and supplies the electrical power needed for the vehicle and its payload. Our solutions bring world-class engineering to this critical technology. We work with global leaders in propulsion, including:
- Suter 2-Stroke Engines: Suter Industries AG, in collaboration with CAE GmbH, designs and produces UAV engines in Switzerland. Their current solutions include 2-stroke opposed cylinder air and water cooled engines that can operate on gasoline or heavy fuel (Jet A1, JP5, JP8) with power ranging from 17.6kW (23.9hp) to 21.5kW (29.2hp).
- Plettenberg Electric Systems: As the leading developer of tailored electric propulsion systems for uncrewed platforms, Plettenberg delivers the optimal power-to-weight-to-robustness ratio. Their comprehensive portfolio includes DC electric motors, ESCs, and starter-generators, all customized to match specific mission profiles.
- Mejzlik Propellers: Through our partnership with Mejzlik Propellers from the Czech Republic, we provide both COTS and custom carbon fiber propeller solutions. With nearly five decades of experience since 1974, Mejzlik partners with customers to achieve performance, reliability, and safety requirements through comprehensive simulation, design, manufacture, and testing services.
- Advanced Microturbines (AMT): AMT is located in the Netherlands and offers turbine solutions providing thrust from 52lbf to 352lbf in high efficiency packages with exceptional performance and low fuel consumption. AMT has been providing these solutions to global customers since 1994.
- H3 Dynamics Fuel Cells: H3 Dynamics from Austin, TX, USA offers fuel cells from 300W to 4,000W, hydrogen storage tanks, hydrogen filling equipment and regulators to support small UAS electric power needs in extending endurance.
Precision Navigation and Control
Modern UAVs demand sophisticated flight control systems that ensure precision, reliability, and autonomous operation capabilities. We provide a complete suite of servo actuators, autopilots, and navigation systems that meet aviation-grade certification standards.
- Autopilot Systems: Our Spanish partner, Embention, represents pioneering technology in autonomous vehicle navigation. These systems comply with DO178C, DO254, and DO160G standards for aircraft certification and are currently operational on UAVs worldwide, including fixed-wing, multicopter, VTOL, and helicopter platforms. They also offer solutions for loitering munitions and vision based navigation for GPS denied environments.
- MEMS-INS-GPS Navigation: Through Aeron Systems from India, we provide advanced inertial navigation systems that use accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers to calculate position, orientation, and velocity through dead reckoning, maintaining navigation capability even when external GPS sources are unavailable.
- Precision Control Surfaces: Volz servo actuators from Germany has more than 40 years of experience in the development, manufacturing and supply of standard, redundant and submersible actuators for a wide range of applications, from medical technology and robotics to Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and UAVs, and has made a name for itself that customers around the world rely on today. They are EN/AS9100 certified and offer solutions that meet the highest standards of performance and reliability and are perfectly tailored to the needs of several global aviation companies.
Complete Mission Support
Beyond propulsion and flight control, successful UAV operations require integrated system solutions that address every aspect of unmanned flight. We offer rescue parachute solutions, advanced fuel and engine sensors, pneumatic launchers and gyro-stabilized EO/IR camera systems.
- Safety and Recovery Systems: Our parachute solutions from PASA Safety Solutions AG and ParaZero provide lightweight, compact rescue systems for fixed-wing, multicopter, and transitional VTOL applications up to 200kg maximum takeoff weight (MTOW). These systems help planned recovery operations and emergency rescue situations to protect valuable air vehicles and payloads. We also offer air-bag solutions to protect expensive payloads.
- Advanced Sensing Technology: We offer sophisticated ultrasonic fuel flow sensors from Sentronics and capacitive fuel level sensors from Reventec, designed for harsh environments. These solutions bring critical fuel measurement and fuel availability expertise from the racing industry to UAV applications to know exactly how much flight time is available, providing the longest endurance at the lowest risk.
- Launch and Ground Support: Eli Airborne‘s pneumatic launchers from Estonia provide rapid deployment capability for UAVs. They offer two solutions with up to 40kg MTOW and up to 80kg MTOW UAVs. These solutions provide a durable framework for reliable launches.
- Gyro-stabilized EO/IR gimbal solutions: Merio from France offers low SWaP (size, weight & power) solutions including video processing hardware and software for geolocation, tracking, video transmission, and storage in size packages for group 2 and 3 sized UAVs.
Experience Meets Innovation
Led by Founder and CEO, Bob Schmidt, UAV Propulsion Tech brings together technical expertise and decades of industry experience. Bob holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Lawrence Technological University and an M.S. in Administration from Central Michigan University and over 35 years of industry experience spanning automotive fuel systems, aerospace UAV propulsion, and hardware solutions. This unique combination of expertise enables Bob to identify and represent the world’s most innovative UAV technology companies seeking US market access.
Why Choose Us As Your Hardware Partner
- Global Network, Local Support: Our international partnerships provide access to cutting-edge technology, while our US-based team ensures responsive local support and service.
- Proven Track Record: Our solutions are currently flying on high-end global UAV platforms, demonstrating real-world reliability and performance.
- Comprehensive Solutions: From propulsion to parachutes, navigation to gimbals, we provide integrated solutions that reduce vendor complexity and streamline your supply chain.
- Technical Expertise: With decades of combined experience in both automotive and aerospace applications, our team understands the unique demands of UAV operations. We also know our competition and what is available on the market. If we don’t have it, we can usually point you in the right direction for who does.
- Continuous Innovation: We actively seek partnerships with advanced UAV technology companies worldwide, ensuring our customers have access to tomorrow’s solutions today.
Ready for Takeoff?
Whether you’re developing next-generation commercial UAVs, advancing military capabilities, or pioneering new applications for unmanned systems, UAV Propulsion Tech stands ready to support your mission with top-tier hardware solutions.
By sourcing the best from around the world, we ensure that U.S. drone manufacturers have access to proven systems already flying globally.
Contact us today to discuss your specific UAV hardware needs. We are committed to providing advanced technology solutions that will keep you ahead in the competitive UAV marketplace.