Zephyr is a high altitude long endurance (HALE) unmanned air vehicle (UAV) that can support payloads for surveillance or communications. It therefore provides a cost effective and persistent capability to collect or disseminate high quality data across wide areas. Zephyr is pushing the boundaries of unmanned flight – and in more ways than one. In July 2010 it secured...
A SOLAR-POWERED plane which can fly continuously for five years may seem like a flight of fancy. But a Newcastle University team has the job of turning the vision into reality. Led by Professor Barrie Mecrow, the team has secured a major contract with leading defence technology and security company QinetiQ to help create the US-based Boeing SolarEagle. Joint...
Well done to the team from Boscombe the FAI have ratified three records. The flight lasted 10 times longer than the previous duration record held by the RQ 4A Global Hawk. the absolute duration record for an Unmanned Air Vehicle – being filed at 336 hrs / 22 minutes the duration record for a UAV (in the U/1.c /...
Boeing has announced that it has won funding to the tune of $89 million from DARPA to develop its Solar Eagle UAV. Solar power is a hot topic, no pun intended. QinetiQs Zephyr flew for 14 days and 22 hours earlier this year. Sources have told us that it could have gone much longer. Boeing was chosen over an offering...
Blurring the borders between missile and UAS this airframe aims to hurry up and wait for something to happen. Expect to see lots of these making news in 2011. Many of the primary players involved are all based close to each other in Bedfordshire/Hertfordshire is the UKs area 51 really in the Chilterns? The Fire Shadow is a low...
QinetiQ has filed for three world records for Zephyr, its solar powered high-altitude long endurance (HALE) Unmanned Air System (UAS), with the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), subject to ratification for achieving: Absolute duration record for an Unmanned Air Vehicle – being filed at 336 hrs / 22 minutes Duration record for a UAV (in the U/1.c / 50-500Kg category)...
Key Milestone Achieved in Development and Testing of First Unmanned Aircraft System to Offer Seamless Persistence Without Latitude Restrictions MONROVIA, Calif. – Aug. 11, 2010 – AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) (NASDAQ:AVAV) announced that a full size wing developed as part of the Global Observer™ Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) program has successfully completed a series of Wing Load Tests (WLT)...
QinetiQ will today bring Zephyr, its solar powered high-altitude long endurance (HALE) Unmmaned Aerial System (UAS) back to earth after two weeks in the air – smashing a number of long-standing official and unofficial world records. Zephyr was launched on 09 July and is currently still flying above the US Army’s Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. Today Zephyr will...
The Zephyr is now on day 12 of its mission and flying well. I’m no expert on the subject but I do know they need pretty calm conditions for the landing. A quick look at the forecast for Yuma on Friday morning, the two week point, shows a touch of wind and calming. From Monday the surface winds are...
You heard it here first!!! Well we thought you might hear something soon. The Zephyr has smashed its previous record and at this time been in the air for 7 days and 2 hours and 12 minutes. The craft took off at 1440 BST (0640) local time from the US Army’s Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona last Friday, the...
