Zephyr

The remarkable Zephyr is a stratospheric UAV designed to fly ultra-long endurance missions acting as a solar-powered observation and comms platform. In its latest test, it sailed past its old endurance record two weeks ago, and may still be up there.

The solar-powered UAV previously known as the Qinetiq Zephyr, which is now part of the Airbus High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) programme and called the Airbus Zephyr, has continued it's record-breaking ways in its first civil flight in the skies over Dubai earlier this month.

The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale has ratified the three world records claims made by QinetiQ in July 2010 after its Zephyr UAV stayed airborne for over 14 days.

QinetiQ has filed for three world records for Zephyr, its solar powered high-altitude long endurance (HALE) Unmanned Air System (UAS) that stayed aloft for 14 nights.

Barring mishap, QinetiQ will set a significant milestone in aviation history later today.

Zephyr, QinetiQ’s solar-powered, high-altitude long-endurance (HALE), Unmanned Air System (UAS) is currently in the air and setting a landmark unmanned flight duration record by demonstrating what is essentially perpetual flight.

Qinetiq’s Zephyr solar powered high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has flown a world-beating three and a half day flight at the US Army's Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona.

September 11, 2007 Using new solar array technology and a tailor-built autopilot system, QinetiQ's Zephyr High Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicl