Farnborough International Airshow 2010
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Zephyr UAV
Zephyr is prepared for take off on its 2010 record breaking flight. The QinetiQ team launch Zephyr in 2008 Zephyr in flight, 2008 Zephyr in flight at dusk during its August 2008 flight.
Zephyr is recognised as a world leading Solar Powered high-altitude, long-endurance Unmanned Air System (UAS). Its goal is to provide a persistent, stable, high altitude platform for surveillance, communications and rapid delivery to forces in the field. The aircraft uses state-of-the-art solar cells to recharge its equally advanced extremely high power lithium-sulphur batteries on a continuous day/night flight cycle, allowing the UAS to fly for weeks without landing. The latest version of Zephyr flew again in early July 2010 at the Yuma Proving Ground where it broke its own unofficial 83 hour record and smashed the official 33 hour world record for the longest unmanned flight set by Global Hawk in 2001 by flying for 14days and 21 minutes. Thanks to its solar power system Zephyr also broke the record for the longest flight without refuelling previously held by the Rutan Voyager which flew for 9 days, 3 minutes and 44 seconds. This Zephyr represents a leap forward from the aircraft flown in 2008 and 2009. Significant company investment has gone into proving the reliability of the latest version. 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, has an entirely new aerodynamic shape and a ‘T’ tail design.
 
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> Unmanned Air Systems
> UAS and the Human Element
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