UK-built solar plane flies unmanned for three days
Sunday, 24 Aug 2008 11:09
The plane is coated with solar panels which eliminate the need for refuelling stops
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A British solar-powered plane, Zephyr-6, has set an unofficial flight endurance record after flying unmanned for over three days.
The demonstration of the plane took place in the US state of Arizona and is being touted as a breakthrough in military intelligence.
The aircraft developed by QinetiQ doesn't require fuelling stops as the solar panels store energy in the sunlight for night operations.
Speaking to the BBC, QinetiQ spokesman Chris Kelleher said: "We think Zephyr is very close to an operational system - within the next two years is what we're aiming for.
"We have one more step of improvements; we trying to design a robust and reliable system that will really sit up there for months; and we want to push the performance," he added.
The Zephyr climbed to altitudes of over 60,000 ft at which it operated on autopilot. It remained in the air for over 82 hours.