59.WANKEL

♤ India has developed its own propulsion engine 'Wankel' for future UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles).

♤ The Wankel engine is a type of internal combustion engine using an eccentric rotary design to convert pressure into a rotating motion instead of using reciprocating pistons.

♤ The 55-hp engine is developed by three national research agencies – National Aerospace Labs, Aeronautical Development Establishment, and the Vehicle Research and Development.

♤ Wankel will be used to power the home-grown UAVs Nishant, Lakshya and Rustom-1 and 2 versions used to observe and survey border areas.

♤ The engine weighs about 30 Kgs, and is known for its high power to weight ratio in single rotor category.

♤ The engine can also be used for powering smaller air vehicles, automotive, outboard motors, and Industrial applications.