[clug] [OT] the Ultimate UAV? 25m wingspan, 300W Solar PV, 65, 000' cruise, 45 days aloft, $7.5M

[steve jenkin]

Thought the Canberra UAV ppl might enjoy this.
It’s close to the the "Outback Joe" trials [Sep 20th], so they may be looking elsewhere.

UK military buys third £4m Zephyr drone for 'persistent surveillance' trials
Flying solar panel runs off batteries and a 300W motor
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/08/18/ministry_of_defence_buys_third_zephyr_solar_drone/>
> 
> The Ministry of Defence has bought a third solar-powered Zephyr-S surveillance drone for £4.3m,
>  and says it “performs more like a satellite than a conventional UAV”.
> 
> With its 25 metre wingspan covered in solar panel cells,
>  this latest Zephyr-S is the third unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to be delivered as part of the MoD's £13m UAV contract with Airbus.
> 
> The MoD, however, reckons the Farnborough-built Zephyr-S is capable of staying airborne for 45 days. 
> 
> Both manufacturer and customer refer to the Zephyr-S as a High Altitude Psuedo-Satellite.
> The idea is that the drone uses its 5kg payload
>  to carry a surveillance camera, 
> which Airbus says can provide up to 15cm resolution of objects on the ground
>  from an altitude “in excess of” 65,000ft.
> 
> It is powered by a 300W electric motor driving two two-bladed propellers and energy storage is through lithium-ion batteries.
> 
> As well as surveillance, the Zephyr-S is capable of being used as a communications relay satellite. 
> 
> Product Brochure
> [https://airbusdefenceandspace.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/zephyr-brochure.pdf]

--
Steve Jenkin, IT Systems and Design 
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