aircraft firegeezer on 25 Aug 2008 05:11 pm
Solar-Powered Spy Plane Sets Record
A SOLAR-POWERED AIRCRAFT DESIGNED BY A BRITISH company called QinetiQ was successfully flown non-stop for more than three days.
QinetiQ photo
The test flight, carried out in secret by its designers and witnessed by American and British defense officials, took place on July 28 in a secure location in the Mojave desert. The Zephyr-6, as it is called, stayed aloft for 82 hours and 37 minutes according to the announcement released yesterday.
The ultra-lightweight plane is built from carbon fiber and powered using paper-thin solar panels that are glued to the wings. The solar energy powers the electric-driven propellers and also stores excess energy in a set of rechargeable lithium-sulphur batteries that keep the engines running at night.
The craft has a 60-ft. wingspan, yet weighs only 66 pounds. It was launched by a group of runners who got it up to speed. Then it was guided by remote control up to an altitude of 60,000 ft. where it was switched onto auto-pilot and guided by satellite communication.
The BBC News reports:
The flight was a demonstration for the US military, which is looking for new types of technology to support its troops on the ground. Craft like Zephyr might make ideal platforms for reconnaissance. They could also be used to relay battlefield communications.
Chris Kelleher, from UK defence and research firm QinetiQ, said Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) offer advantages over traditional aircraft and even satellites.
“The principal advantage is persistence - that you would be there all the time,” he told BBC News. “A satellite goes over the same part of the Earth twice a day - and one of those is at night - so it’s only really getting a snapshot of activity. Zephyr would be watching all day.”
U.S. military officials say that the goal that they expect to reach before long is to have a plane that can stay aloft in one location for five years.
You can read more about this amazing aircraft HERE.
The BBC has also prepared this video report:
on 25 Aug 2008 at 8:47 pm 1.Dal90 said …
UAVs will be playing an increasingly important role domestically.
Think about the effectiveness of a small squadron of UAVs flying domestically, set up to detect smoke or infrared from a forest fire. One pilot can control multiple machines, putting the ones he’s not actively controlling on autopilot, covering far more area far more effectively then manned planes can do today.
Police agencies are likely to do similiar observation capability — at least for fair weather accidents a UAV flyover looking for ejected victims might be standard, since they could have a dozen UAVs airborne for the cost of a single helicopter. (In Connecticut, due to an unfortunate situation a few years ago, all MVAs that are found “abandoned” must have their vicinity cleared by State Police helicopter (FLIR), police canine, or FD thermal imager.)