Zephyr® - Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)
“At present long endurance is measured in terms of hours. Ultimately we are thinking in terms of months. The current development programme has the potential to extend Zephyr’s mission endurance to around three months, which could force a wholesale change to the way in which the industry thinks about UAV operations.”
Paul Davey, Development Director for the Zephyr UAV, QinetiQ
Paul Davey, Development Director for the Zephyr UAV, QinetiQ
Zephyr High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is an ultra-lightweight carbon-fibre aircraft. It flies on solar power generated by amorphous silicon arrays covering the aircraft’s wings, no thicker than sheets of paper. It is powered day and night by rechargeable lithium-sulphur batteries that are recharged during the day using solar power. The aircraft uses United Solar Ovonic solar arrays, a full flight-set of Sion Power batteries, as well as a novel solar-charger and bespoke autopilot developed by QinetiQ.
Potential applications for Zephyr include earth observation and communications relay.
Potential applications for Zephyr include earth observation and communications relay.
Zephyr has secured a place in the history of UAV development by attaining the world record for the longest duration unmanned flight. The aircraft achieved a 14 day, 21 minute flight reaching an altitude of 70,000 feet in July 2010.
Features
- Zephyr is now 50% larger than previous iterations to better accommodate the vital equipment it needs and with a 22.5m wingspan its over 4m longer
- It also includes a new integrated power management system
- Zephyr has an entirely new aerodynamic shape and a ‘T’ tail design
- Launched by hand
- Powered by solar batteries recharged during the day
- Currently holds the record for the longest duration unmanned flight
- Contact us: by phone: +44 (0) 8700 100 942
- by
- post
- via our
- enquiry form
QinetiQ Group PLC, Company Registration No 4586941, Registered Office 85 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6PD