British solar-powered unmanned drone finally lands after flying non-stop for two weeks

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Category: Transport

Published on Saturday, 24 July 2010 08:10

A British-designed, solar-powered aircraft today finally landed after shattering the endurance record for an unmanned plane.The Zephyr completed two weeks of non-stop flight above a US Army range in Arizona before finally coming in to land. It has more than doubled the unofficial record of more than 82 hours already held by Zephyr and has smashed the official record of more than 30 hours set in 2001. The Zephyr is the creation of Hampshire-based defense and research company QinetiQ. Launched by hand, the aircraft flies by day on solar power which is then used to recharge the lithium-sulphur batteries, which are used to power the aircraft by night.

The aircraft can provide low-cost, non-stop surveillance over months rather than days. 'Zephyr is the world's first and only truly persistent aeroplane,' said Neville Salkeld, MD of QinetiQ's UK Technology Solutions Group. 'We are really proud of the team's achievement which has been supported by expertise from across the QinetiQ business and beyond. 'We've now proved that this amazing aircraft is capable of providing a cost effective, persistent surveillance and communications capability measured in terms of weeks, if not months. 'Not only is Zephyr game-changing technology, it is also significantly more cost effective to manufacture and deploy than traditional aircraft and satellites.'

'We are just really delighted with the performance,' said project manager Jon Saltmarsh. 'It's the culmination of a lot of years of effort from a huge number of really talented scientists and engineers,' he told BBC News. Around 50 per cent larger than the previous Zephyr, technical changes now mean it has a 22.5m wingspan to accommodate more batteries that are combined with a totally new integrated power management system. Launched by hand, the aircraft flies by day on solar power delivered by amorphous silicon solar arrays no thicker than sheets of paper that cover the aircraft's wings.

These are also used to recharge the lithium-sulphur batteries which are used to power the aircraft by night. The entirely new aerodynamic shape and high 'T' tail also contribute to reduce drag and improve performance. Zephyr's ultra-lightweight carbon-fibre design also means it weighs in at just over 50kg. Unlike conventional manned or unmanned aircraft now being operated, Zephyr does not need to return to base at regular intervals for re-fuelling or servicing.

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