This week has seen several announces evidencing that the UAV market is going through game changing transformation:

  • The Boeing Company unveiled the hydrogen-powered Phantom Eye unmanned airborne system, a demonstrator that will stay aloft at 65,000 feet for up to four days. Phantom Eye is powered by two 2.3-liter, four-cylinder engines that provide 150 horsepower each. It has a 150-foot wingspan, will cruise at approximately 150 knots and can carry up to a 450-pound payload.
  • Zephyr, a solar-powered UAV designed by Qinetiq will attempt to set a new endurance record. The previous Zephyr continuous flight lasted about 80 hours. This time the solar-powered UAV with a wing span of 22.5 m (and weight of only 40 kg) will try to stay in the air for two weeks at the altitude of 15 km.
  • UK Ministry of Defence unveiled the prototype of unmanned combat aircraft, Taranis. The stealth fighter UAV is developed by BAE Systems.

The new game changing UAV technologies set up new standards of UAV flight endurance, altitude and mission applicability.