Czech company PBS Velka Bites (Stand 1884) is marketing a range of small powerplants that are suitable for turbo-trainers, cruise missiles, target drones and UAVs. The company developed this line of business after specializing as a provider of auxiliary power units (APUs). It has been the maker of the APUs for the Mil Mi-8/17 medium-lift series of helicopters since the early 1970s.

“We have been making turbojet engines since 2003 and have sold 700 of them,” Marek Fiala, marketing representative, told AIN. The TJ100 has a thrust of between 225 and 300 pounds and an excellent power-to-weight ratio, he claimed. It has its own oil system, and a time between overhaul (TBO) of 300 hours, he added. Among the customers for the TJ100 for drone and missile applications are Spanish company Inta and Czech company Sokol. 

But the 180-pound thrust TJ80 turbojet is the best seller for PBS Velka Bites, especially for missiles. It has a mixed fuel/oil system, which saves weight, although the TBO is lower. It is very light and low-cost, according to Fiala. The smallest turbojet that the company makes is the TJ20, with a thrust of 50 pounds. As for turboprops, the TP100 has been developed from the TJ100 and produced by the company for the past three years.

Meanwhile, the company’s APU business remains a key activity. It manufactures various types, from the simplest that operate only as a source of pressure air for starting main engines, to the combined delivery of pressure air, electricity and hydraulics in the most complex variants. The latter can partially substitute power supply in emergencies, such as engine failure, and they can also be used to power onboard equipment during pre-flight preparations.

PBS Velka Bites also works for the power and transport industries. Its output includes the manufacture of precision castings, electroplating, and the high-tech machining of metals.