A Spy By Any Other Name

Nomenclature is a curious, often misleading business. A zephyr, for example, is a light, west-wind named for Zephyrus, the Greek god and personification of the west-wind. Zephyrus was held by his adherents to be the bringer of spring and early-summer breezes. Airbus, conversely, has applied the Zephyr moniker to its series of lightweight, solar-powered unmanned aerial-vehicles.  

Originally conceived of and built in 2003 by the British Defense contractor QuinetiQ, Zephyr series aircraft are high-flying, high-endurance, unmanned aircraft that serve a number of nations in the intelligence-gathering, observation, and communications relay capacities. 

The latest iteration of the gossamer, carbon-fiber vehicle—the Zephyr-8 (or Zephyr “S”)—is capable of reaching an altitude of seventy-thousand-feet, and remaining aloft for a period of time measurable in months. 

Consistent with its protracted, high-altitude mission, the wings of the 75-kilogram (165-pound) Zephyr-8 stretch an expansive 25-meters (82-feet) and house solar-collectors that power the craft’s twin propellers. 

In addition to facilitating daytime thrust, the solar arrays charge a lithium-sulphur battery that stores energy enough to keep Zephyr flying throughout the night hours. 

Zephyr-8’s predecessor—Zephyr-7—formerly held the official endurance record for an un-refueled, unmanned aerial-vehicle. The record flight spanned a 336-hour, 22-minute, eight-second time period (14-days, 22-minutes, eight-seconds) between 09 July and 23 July 2010. 

In 2018, the larger, lighter, more capable Zephyr “S” smashed its progenitor’s record by logging a 26-day maiden-flight across Arizona’s sunny skies. 

On 15 June 2022, a Zephyr “S” took off from the U.S. Army’s Yuma Proving Ground, thereby marking the commencement of an evaluation exercise that has since seen the aircraft fly several patterns over the Yuma Test Range and Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. 

On 27 June, the test-Zephyr departed southeast-bound, proceeding over the Gulf of Mexico, then on to the Caribbean Sea before taking up a westerly course back towards the U.S.

Airbus has been conducting Zephyr “S” test flights over western Arizona for some time. Whether or not the ongoing flight is a record-attempt is unknown. 

FMI: www.airbus.com/en