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4 April 2005
ORBITAL ANNOUNCES NEW LICENSEE
Perth, Australia: Orbital is pleased
to announce a new licensee of its direct injection (DI) technology.
Goebler-Hirth Motoren KG (Hirth) of Benningen,
Germany has entered into a licence to use Orbital's air-assist DI
on a new range of 2-stroke engines to meet the growing global demand
for heavy fuel engines. Hirth has been in business since 1917 producing
highly regarded 2-stroke aircraft engines for ultra-lights, helicopters,
hovercrafts, fire pumps, amphibious aircraft and unmanned aerial
vehicles (UAVs).
Hirth plans to offer a family of heavy fuel
engines that can operate on kerosene based fuels to support a worldwide
push to eliminate the use of gasoline in speciality engines in civilian
and defence fields. Potential applications of this family of engines
include UAVs, generators, compressors and water pumps.
Orbital's air-assist DI enables spark ignition
engines to reliably operate on kerosene based fuels. A better power
to weight ratio is achieved compared to using diesel compression
ignition engine alternatives. Orbital has successfully applied this
same solution on a range of outboard engines for the US Department
of Defence and UK Ministry of Defence.
The Orbital equipped Hirth heavy fuel engine
was recently demonstrated to a number of potential customers in
Europe. It was also displayed at the Australian International Airshow
at Avalon in Victoria and will be displayed in June at AUVSI's Unmanned
Systems North America 2005 Exhibition in Baltimore, Maryland USA.
Orbital also confirms that it has been engaged
by Powerski International Corporation (Powerski) to adapt Orbital's
air assist direct injection technology to Powerski's patented Supertorque
XT™ Marine Engine for application in their Igniter 330 Jetboard.
Powerski, based in Southern California, develop and market unique
high performance motorised surfboards. The application of Orbital's
technology will enable Powerski to meet global emissions regulations
including those of California.
"We have indicated over the past months
that Orbital's direct injection technology would continue to find
acceptance in technically demanding niche applications, " said
Mr Peter Cook, the Chief Executive Officer of Orbital. "These
new markets support that view and continue to demonstrate the value
of our core technology."
Forward Looking Statements
This release includes forward-looking
statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking
statements are based upon management's expectations and beliefs
concerning future events. Forward-looking statements are necessarily
subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which
are outside the control of the Company, that could cause actual
results to differ materially from such statements. Actual results
and events may differ significantly from those projected in the
forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors including,
but not limited to, those detailed from time to time in the Company's
Form 20-F filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
Orbital makes no undertaking to subsequently update or revise the
forward-looking statements made in this release to reflect events
or circumstances after the date of this release.
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