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Sun, Jul 25, 2010

Zephyr Lands After Fourteen Plus Days Aloft

Solar Powered Aircraft Shattered Flight Records

The solar-powered Zephyr UAV has landed after more than 14 days of continuous flight powered by nothing more than sunlight.

Qinetiq, the UK-based company which built the UAV, said it had nothing more to prove by extending the flight any longer.

The Zephyr has shattered all endurance records for unmanned flight with it's 14+ days aloft. The plane was hand-launched at the Yuma proving grounds in Arizona on July 9th. It surpassed the previous record for an unmanned aerial vehicle after only 31 hours.

The Zephyr flew as high as 60,000 feet to give its solar panels maximum exposure to the sun. The panels not only powered the aircraft's engine, but also charged the on-board lithium-sulphur batteries which kept it aloft through the night.

"We are just really delighted with the performance," project manager Jon Saltmarsh told the BBC. He said the Zephyr is now no longer considered to be "experimental", and was ready to begin the operational phase of its life.

FMI: www.qinetiq.com

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