Hybrid electric drive systems for unmanned aircraft systems

An electric air vehicle, comprising:

• an electrically powered load;
• a main power bus in electrical communication with the electrically powered load;
• and
• a hybrid powerplant, comprising:
• a power bus in electrical communication with the main power bus;
• an engine;
• a generator coupled to the engine, the generator in electrical communication with the power bus;
• an energy storage configured to be electrically isolated from the power bus in a first state and to be electrically coupled to the power bus in a second state, the hybrid powerplant configured to provide a varying voltage output.

A generator management unit for a hybrid powerplant, the generator management unit comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
• receiving, via the processor, a power demand for an electrical load that is greater than a current power demand being provided to the electrical load, the current power demand being provided by a generator operably coupled to an engine, the generator providing a first voltage;
• commanding, via the processor, an electrical switch to transition from an open position to a closed position to electrically couple an energy storage to a main power bus, the main power bus in electrical communication with the electrical load;
• and
• in response to the energy storage becoming electrically coupled to the main power bus, achieving the power demand.