Mon, Sep 20, 2010
SolarEagle To Make Its First Demonstration Flight In 2014
Under the terms of an $89 million
contract, SolarEagle will make its first demonstration flight in
2014, according to a Boeing Company press statement released late
Thursday. Boeing inked the deal with the U.S. Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency on on Sept. 14 to develop and fly
the SolarEagle unmanned aircraft for the Vulture II demonstration
program.
"SolarEagle is a uniquely configured, large unmanned aircraft
designed to eventually remain on station at stratospheric altitudes
for at least five years," said Pat O'Neil, Boeing Phantom Works
program manager for Vulture II. "That's a daunting task, but Boeing
has a highly reliable solar-electric design that will meet the
challenge in order to perform persistent communications,
intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions from
altitudes above 60,000 feet."
Also under the the Vulture II agreement, Boeing will develop a
full-scale flight demonstrator, including maturation of the
critical power system and structures technologies. Key suppliers
for the program include Versa Power Systems and QinetiQ.
Artist's Rendering of SolarEagle
During testing, the SolarEagle demonstrator will remain in the
upper atmosphere for 30 days, harvesting solar energy during the
day that will be stored in fuel cells and used to provide power
through the night. The aircraft will have highly efficient electric
motors and propellers and a high-aspect-ratio, 400-foot wing for
increased solar power and aerodynamic performance.
SolarEagle is one of Phantom Works' rapid prototyping efforts,
which also include Phantom Ray, a fighter-sized, unmanned, advanced
technology demonstrator scheduled to make its first flight in early
2011, and the hydrogen-powered Phantom Eye demonstrator, a High
Altitude Long Endurance aircraft designed to stay aloft for up to
four days, also scheduled to make its first flight in 2011.
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