Chinese Unmanned Flying Surveillance Drones Enter Washington D.C.!

On August 12th through the 15th, Chinese designed and built Unmanned Aerial Vehicles “UAV’s” will descend on the US capital…… not under their own power, but by a US transport cargo jet. These Chinese surveillance drones will be on display at this year’s AUVSI show held in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, downtown Washington D.C. For the first time, the West will have a glimpse at how the East is progressing in UAV technology, first hand, in booth 2662.

The exhibitor displaying their UAV systems is the company Hubei Ewatt Technology Co., LTD., located in Wuhan China. Ewatt is one of the largest suppliers of imported equipment to the Chinese State Power Electrical Grid. Ewatt entered the UAV business to fill a need that the State Power Grid has for a more safe means of power-line inspections, which lead them to develop their first UAV systems.

Ewatt founder and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Zhao Guocheng will attend the show with 4 other company executives that will help man the display. One of these Ewatt company officers is Technical Director of VTOL Vehicles Mr. Dennis Fetters, an American living and working in China for 4 years now.

Mr. Fetters is one of the only people in the world that has successfully designed and manufactured helicopters, gyroplanes and UAV vehicles, which places him in a unique category of designers. He has previously designing over 10 different helicopters and Gyroplanes when he owned his manufacturing businesses in the U.S.A., building over 1700 rotorcraft and shipping them world-wide. He is best known for the famed Air Command series of Gyroplanes manufactured in the 1980’s that revolutionized that industry, and also known for the Mini-500 single-seat helicopter he manufactured in the 1990’s.

Mr. Fetters most resent accomplishment is his fully autonomous SVU-200 Heavy-Lift multipurpose UAV helicopter for Hunan Sunward Science and Technology Co., LTD., in Changsha China. The SVU-200 was designed and manufactured 100% in China by Mr. Fetters and his Chinese design team, except for some electrical components.

After the flights Mr. Fetters stated “after intense training to the stringent demands of the aerospace industry, the high-quality of the workmanship in the SVU-200 can now compare or exceed that of any UAV helicopter anywhere in the world”. The SVU-200 benefits from a new rotor-head and control system combination designed by Mr. Fetters that provides for “super-stable” controlling of the helicopter requiring only 1/10th of the amount of computer-stabilizing control inputs as with other large UAV helicopters. The SUV-200 has two internal payload bays, one in the nose and one in the rear of the aircraft, and is also equipped with hard-points and capable of hauling sling-loads, or carry an external cargo/payload pod, and even extended-range tanks with extra fuel for longer mission capabilities. The SVU-200 is powered by a Rotax 582 engine using the special Fetters-designed PEP (Power Enhancement Package) exhaust system, enabling the engines power to be increase from its normal 65 to 78 horsepower, and designed to be capable of lifting up to a 200kg maximum useful load and a top-speed up to 209 km/hr.

The SUV-200 is not an existing helicopter converted to a UAV, but was designed from the ground up as a “large helicopter made small” and not a “small RC helicopter made big”, like most all other UAV helicopters to date. All parts were specifically designed and built for this project and are unique, using custom-made geared transmissions and tail-rotor drive shafts. Therefore the SVU-200 has the same construction as a full-size manned helicopter, along with the same reliability and longevity as a full-size manned helicopter. This detail to quality is due to the fact that today’s electronic payloads can easily be more valuable than the cost of the helicopter.

Due to Mr. Fetters accomplishments, Mr. Zhao decided to advance the technical abilities of Ewatt and recruit Mr. Fetters, creating a strategic partnership to not only improve Ewatt’s existing UAV’s now in use, but to develop a new UAV helicopter with a 300kg payload capability, called the “Defiant Heavy-lift multipurpose VTUAV system”. This new UAV will sport all improvements in enhanced capabilities that Mr. Fetters has to offer. The news release of this strategic alliance can be viewed at this link:

http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20130611000041&cid=1202

Quoted: “China Ewatt Technology yesterday signed a contract with US firm Fetters AeroSpace to jointly invest 500 million Yuan (US$81 million) to build China’s largest production base for unmanned aerial vehicles in Wuhan. The deal represents the first venture between China and the US in civil drones, news website cnhubei.com reports.
The venture aims to reach an annual production of more than 1,000 UAVs in the near term, up from Ewatt’s current annual production capacity of 200 aircraft, the report said, citing Ewatt executive director Zhao Guocheng.
The US partner will send roughly 10 technical and management experts to join the venture, though Ewatt will be in control of management.

Ewatt, founded some three years ago, has become a leading company in China’s UAV industry. It will be the only Chinese drone company joining the US UAV show in September this year, the report said. After April’s Lushan earthquake, Ewatt sent two of its drones to help record earthquake damage, and help power companies in rebuilding power supplies.

Zhao said the joining of the US partner will help upgrade Ewatt’s core competitiveness as the US is leading worldwide in the UAV technology.

Fetters is a renowned US UAV company founded by Dennis Fetters, who has developed low-cost, quality UAVs for more than 30 years, the report said.

Fetters has advanced drone technology, while Ewatt has strong sales networks in China, with eight sales points established already, aiming for the nation’s huge potential UAV market, Zhao said.

China has faced many technological bottlenecks in developing UAVs, especially in loading capacity. The arrival of Fetters can resolve the problem, Zhao said. In the next three to five years, the venture plans to develop UAVs with a payload capacity of 50 kilograms, 200 kilograms, and even 300 kilograms, Zhao said.”

Ewatt UAV teams were dispatched giving “eyes in the sky” assistance to rescuers at the tragic earthquake zone in Sichuan China on April 20, 2013, helping worker to safely and better estimate damage, thereby more efficiently allocate their rescue efforts. Another Ewatt UAV team has also been dispatched to the more recent earthquake in Gansu China on July 22, 2013, where they are presently assisting rescue efforts. Ewatt keeps 2 separate UAV teams on the ready at all times to lend assistance anywhere in China for tragic events, and at no charge. News of this earthquake can be viewed at this link:

http://reliefweb.int/report/china/china-gansu-earthquake-situation-report-no-2-23-july-201
The Ewatt team invites you to visit our booth 2662 during the show, where they will be happy to answer any questions you may have. We have also added some pictures to this email, which you are welcome to use as needed.
Most sincerely,

The EWATT AeroSpace Division VTOL team.