17 July 06,www.qinetiq.com Three-month endurance the aim for QinetiQÂ’s Zephyr UAV .... QinetiQ revealed today that it is currently engaged in a development programme for the Zephyr High-Altitude, Long-Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (HALE UAV) to ready its flight controls and power systems for extended flight.
The developments build on ZephyrÂ’s recent successful trial at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, USA which proved that a low-cost UAV can provide persistent operations at high altitudes.
A particular focus of the current programme is further refinements to ZephyrÂ’s rechargeable batteries with the aim of flying for weeks and then months. Zephyr uses solar power to fly at altitudes in excess of 60,000 feet during the day while storing sufficient energy in its rechargeable batteries to power it overnight without falling below 50,000 feet, so staying above normal commercial airlanes and most weather.....
