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QinetiQ’s breakthrough solar-powered unmanned airplane Zephyr has undergone flight testing and payload evaluations in Yuma, Arizona. This test sequence, jointly sponsored by MOD UK and OSD DDRE JCTD program, focused on evaluating potential payloads as well as advancing the conops for operating long endurance persistent aircraft in excess of five days.
The Zephyr concept is designed to offer solar-powered, persistent coverage with continuous mission durations of up to three months at a revolutionary low-cost per flight hour. The UAS is capable of carrying a variety of payloads and can be used for different applications such as wide area surveillance, communications relay, specific target monitoring, anti-piracy efforts, route monitoring, counter-IED, border security, and local area security.
With a carbon-fiber construction, the Zephyr weighs less than 100 pounds and has a wingspan of up to 75 feet. Launched by hand, Zephyr is solar powered during the day and at night it is powered by lithium-sulfur batteries supplied by the SION Power Corporation that are recharged during the day using solar power.
Via: QinetiQ [Press Release]
