An Airbus drone takes long-haul flights to a whole new level: the Zephyr 8 has been in the air for more than two months. The old record is more than doubled. A sophisticated energy supply makes it possible.
A solar-powered drone stayed in Earth’s atmosphere for a total of 64 days before it crashed – more than doubling the world record for an unmanned aerial vehicle. The US Army announced this, but did not provide any information on the cause of the crash. “We are gathering the flight data under high pressure and evaluating them in order to be able to provide information about the unexpected crash,” said the flight control chief of the military project, Michael Monteleone.
The Zephyr-8 drone, manufactured by European aircraft manufacturer Airbus, with a wingspan of 25 meters and a weight of just 75 kilograms, “encountered events that led to its sudden end” on August 18 over the desert test site in Arizona. explained the US Army.
The statement didn’t provide details, but according to aviation news site Simple Flying, which examines flight tracking data, the high-tech plane was looping over the southwestern United States at an altitude of 14,000 to 15,000 meters when it suddenly plummeted at increased speed. According to the military, no one was injured in the incident.
According to the information, the unmanned drone flew almost the entire time in the stratosphere. Their ability to collect and transmit data and be controlled via satellite links was tested, Airbus explained.
Airbus Zephyr drones are powered by electric motors. Thin-film solar cells provide the power for the motors and at the same time charge lithium-sulphur batteries, which have a particularly high energy density. At night, these then supply the motors with electricity, which enables continuous operation. According to Airbus, the drone can be used for civil and military purposes.
