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Very exciting!Originally Posted by dpeilow
Now some billionaire will come and buy them out and do the world flight.
The world loves to be deceived.
Not electric but an interesting comparison: Phantom Eye hydrogen-powered spy plane
96 hours or 2 weeks?
Last edited by dpeilow; 07-14-2010 at 07:59 AM.
Zephyr solar plane set for record endurance flight
A UK unmanned solar-powered plane will attempt to set a remarkable new endurance record in the coming days.
The Zephyr vehicle will launch from a military range in the US and try to fly non-stop, day and night, for two weeks.
...
During the day, Zephyr uses its state-of-the-art solar cells spread across its wings to recharge high-power lithium-sulphur batteries and drive two propellers. At night, the energy stored in the batteries is sufficient to maintain Zephyr in the sky.
Unmanned robot.
The world loves to be deceived.
The hydrogen folks will tell you that their plane can run off solar too. They just need to carry along water, a compressor, and three times as many solar panels.
Zephyr solar plane flies 7 days non-stop
Well, for as long as the number of lithium-sulphur charge cycles anyway.We have the first 'eternal plane'”
'Eternal plane' returns to Earth
Zephyr took off from the Yuma Proving Ground at 1440 BST (0640 local time) on Friday, 9 July.
After only 31 hours in the air, it had bettered the official world record for a long-duration flight by a drone; but then it kept on going, unencumbered by the need to take on the liquid fuel that sustains traditional aircraft.
Clear skies at 60,000ft delivered copious amounts of sunshine to its amorphous silicon solar arrays, charging its lithium-sulphur batteries and keeping its two propellers turning.
At night, Zephyr lost some altitude but the energy stored in the batteries was more than sufficient to maintain the plane in the air.
Zephyr is set to be credited with a new world endurance record (336 hours, 24 minutes) for an unmanned, un-refuelled aircraft - provided a representative of the world air sports federation, who was present at Yuma, is satisfied its rules have been followed properly.
Its fortnight in the sky easily beats the 30 hours, 24 minutes, set by Northrop Grumman's RQ-4A Global Hawk in 2001.
Last edited by TEG; 12-08-2010 at 11:31 PM.
The world loves to be deceived.
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