Hanwha Systems Debuts at UK Farnborough Airshow... Showcases UAM and Aerospace Technologies

Full-scale UAM Large Wing with 6m Diameter and 6m Height Debuts
Opening Market at One of the World's Top 3 Airshows... Hyperconnected, Hyperintelligent, and Hyperconvergent Products

Hanwha Systems' Urban Air Mobility (UAM Zone, left) and Defense Industry Zone set up at the Farnborough Airshow held in the UK from the 18th to the 22nd (local time). The Farnborough Airshow is regarded as one of the world's top three airshows. (Photo by Hanwha Systems)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Hanwha Systems is participating for the first time in the world's largest aerospace and defense exhibition, the UK Farnborough Airshow, to pioneer market opportunities in urban air mobility (UAM), aerospace, and advanced defense sectors. The company plans to make a strong impression by unveiling a full-scale UAM large rotor with a diameter of 6m and a height of 6m for the first time.

On the 18th, Hanwha Systems announced that it is participating in the "Farnborough Airshow 2022," held from today (local time) until the 22nd in Hampshire County near London, UK. The company secured two zones: UAM and defense industry. It set up a large booth covering a total area of 230㎡ (about 70 pyeong) to showcase its ultra-connected, ultra-intelligent, and ultra-convergent technologies and business capabilities linking ground, air, and space.

First, in the UAM zone, Hanwha Systems unveiled the full-scale rotor mock-up of the 'Butterfly' aircraft, jointly developed with the US company Overair, for the first time. The rotor refers to a large rotating wing. The rotor, equipped with three blades (propellers), measures 6m in diameter and 6m in height. At the event, the electric propulsion motor system was also introduced, meaning the rotor is powered by an electric propulsion system.

The company also introduced the 'OSTR (Optimal Speed Tilt Rotor)' patent, which realizes safety, efficiency, speed, low noise, and eco-friendliness of the Butterfly aircraft, as well as the active vibration control technology (IBC) that enhances safety through individual blade control. The Butterfly places four tilt rotors, implemented with OSTR and IBC technologies, on the front and rear wings, allowing safe flight even if one rotor fails. Tilt rotors refer to vertical takeoff and landing propeller operation systems. Hanwha Systems plans to produce a full-scale unmanned prototype with Overair in the first half of next year.

In the defense industry zone, advanced defense products are exhibited, including a micro synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite, electronically scanned antennas for low earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications for 'space internet,' active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar technology for the Korean fighter jet (KF-21), the Cheongung-II multifunction radar (MFR) and long-range surface-to-air guided weapon system MFR for air defense systems, and directional infrared countermeasure (DIRCM) equipment for aircraft survivability. The Cheongung-II is a core product exported to the United Arab Emirates in January. DIRCM is the first domestically developed product, marking a significant achievement as the sixth country in the world to develop it, following the US, UK, and Israel.

Seongcheol Uh, CEO of Hanwha Systems, said, "Based on our unique defense, communication, and radar technologies, we are rapidly entering the UAM and low earth orbit satellite communication fields, transforming into a 'global hyperspace network' company. Through the Farnborough Airshow, we will showcase our technological competitiveness to the global market, leading innovation in the aerospace industry and changes in the future mobility paradigm."

The Farnborough Airshow, the world's largest aerospace and defense exhibition, is considered one of the "world's top three airshows" alongside the Paris and Singapore Airshows. It is held biennially in July of even-numbered years. This year's event, held after four years, is expected to attract more than 80,000 visitors from 1,500 global companies and organizations both domestic and international.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.