Boeing has rolled out its Phantom Eye high altitude ultra long endurance UAV demonstrator at a ceremony in St Louis.
The hydrogen powered aircraft is designed to be able to fly at altitudes of up to 63,000ft and stay aloft for as long as four days.
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“Phantom Eye is the first of its kind and could open up a whole new market in collecting data and communications,” Darryl Davis, president of Boeing Phantom Works, said at the rollout. “It defines our rapid prototyping efforts and will demonstrate the art-of-the-possible when it comes to persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.”
Phantom Eye is powered by a 2.3 litre Ford four cylinder engine, and features a 45.7m wing span and a distended fuselage for the hydrogen storage. The demonstrator will be capable of carrying a 220kg payload of sensors or communications equipment.
The aircraft will be shipped to Edwards AFB in California before commencing flight trials in early 2011.
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