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In 2016, a twin-tailed Zephyr&nbsp;T variant, providing a maritime surveillance and communications capability, was scheduled for flight testing in 2018.<ref>{{cite news |title=Farnborough 2016: Airbus releases Zephyr T details, outlines CONOPS for systems |url=http://www.janes.com/article/62274/farnborough-2016-airbus-releases-zephyr-t-details-outlines-conops-for-systems |publisher=Janes |date=14 July 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160825180252/http://www.janes.com/article/62274/farnborough-2016-airbus-releases-zephyr-t-details-outlines-conops-for-systems |archive-date=25 August 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
In 2016, a twin-tailed Zephyr&nbsp;T variant, providing a maritime surveillance and communications capability, was scheduled for flight testing in 2018.<ref>{{cite news |title=Farnborough 2016: Airbus releases Zephyr T details, outlines CONOPS for systems |url=http://www.janes.com/article/62274/farnborough-2016-airbus-releases-zephyr-t-details-outlines-conops-for-systems |publisher=Janes |date=14 July 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160825180252/http://www.janes.com/article/62274/farnborough-2016-airbus-releases-zephyr-t-details-outlines-conops-for-systems |archive-date=25 August 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>


In summer 2018, for its maiden flight from Arizona, the Zephyr&nbsp;S remained aloft for 25&nbsp;days 23&nbsp;hours 57&nbsp;minutes, nearly twice as long as the previous record flight of 14&nbsp;days set by its predecessor.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/airbus-sets-flight-endurance-record-with-zephyr-uav-451006/ |title= Airbus sets flight endurance record with Zephyr UAV |date= 8 August 2018 |author= Dan Thisdell |work= Flightglobal }}</ref> It used Amprius [[Lithium-ion battery|lithium-ion batteries]] with [[silicon nanowire]] anodes for a 435&nbsp;Wh/kg [[specific energy]] up from 300–320&nbsp;Wh/kg.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://aviationweek.com/future-aerospace/record-breaking-zephyr-s-battery-holds-evtol-potential |title= Record-Breaking Zephyr's Battery Holds eVTOL Potential |date= 13 December 2018 |author= Graham Warwick |work= Aviation Week & Space Technology}}</ref> High-efficiency, lightweight, and flexible [[inverted metamorphic]] (IMM) multi-junction [[epitaxial lift-off]] (ELO) [[GaAs]] solar cell sheets manufactured by [[MicroLink Devices]] provided the solar power with specific powers exceeding 1,500&nbsp;W/kg and areal powers greater than 350&nbsp;W/m<sup>2</sup>.<ref>{{Cite press release |author= MicroLink Devices |title= MicroLink Devices Powers Successful Stratospheric Flight of Airbus Defence and Space Zephyr S HAPS Solar Aircraft |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/microlink-devices-powers-successful-stratospheric-flight-of-airbus-defence-and-space-zephyr-s-haps-solar-aircraft-300732214.html |date= Oct 17, 2018}}</ref>
In summer 2018, for its maiden flight from Arizona, the Zephyr&nbsp;S remained aloft for 25&nbsp;days 23&nbsp;hours 57&nbsp;minutes, nearly twice as long as the previous record flight of 14&nbsp;days set by its predecessor.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/airbus-sets-flight-endurance-record-with-zephyr-uav-451006/ |title= Airbus sets flight endurance record with Zephyr UAV |date= 8 August 2018 |author= Dan Thisdell |work= Flightglobal }}</ref> It used Amprius [[Lithium-ion battery|lithium-ion batteries]] with [[silicon nanowire]] anodes for a 435&nbsp;Wh/kg [[specific energy]] up from 300–320&nbsp;Wh/kg.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://aviationweek.com/future-aerospace/record-breaking-zephyr-s-battery-holds-evtol-potential |title= Record-Breaking Zephyr's Battery Holds eVTOL Potential |date= 13 December 2018 |author= Graham Warwick |work= Aviation Week & Space Technology}}</ref> High-efficiency, lightweight, and flexible inverted [[Solar_cell_research#Metamorphic_multijunction_solar_cell|metamorphic multi-junction]] epitaxial lift-off [[GaAs]] solar cell sheets manufactured by [[MicroLink Devices]] provided the solar power with specific powers exceeding 1,500&nbsp;W/kg and areal powers greater than 350&nbsp;W/m<sup>2</sup>.<ref>{{Cite press release |author= MicroLink Devices |title= MicroLink Devices Powers Successful Stratospheric Flight of Airbus Defence and Space Zephyr S HAPS Solar Aircraft |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/microlink-devices-powers-successful-stratospheric-flight-of-airbus-defence-and-space-zephyr-s-haps-solar-aircraft-300732214.html |date= Oct 17, 2018}}</ref>


In July 2022, Zephyr S spent 26 days airborne, breaking its previous record from 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-62123819 | title=Zephyr breaks own record for longest unmanned flight | publisher=BBC News |access-date=13 July 2022 }}</ref> The flight began on 15&nbsp;June in [[Arizona]], and by 22&nbsp;July the plane was still flying after being aloft for 36&nbsp;days. It marked the Zephyr's first venture into international airspace and over water, and its longest continuous flight using satellite communication controls.<ref name=defensenews22july22>{{Cite web |last=Buchaniec |first=Catherine |date=2022-07-22 |title=Up, up and away: Airbus’ Zephyr drone breaks flight record high above Arizona |url=https://www.defensenews.com/unmanned/2022/07/22/up-up-and-away-airbus-zephyr-drone-breaks-flight-record-high-above-arizona/ |access-date=2022-09-26 |website=Defense News |language=en}}</ref> On 19 August 2022, the plane was lost over a desert in Arizona with no personal injury reported after a flight time of 64 days.<ref name=simpleflying20Aug2022>{{cite news |url= https://simpleflying.com/airbus-zephyr-flight-ends/ |title= The Airbus Zephyr Comes Crashing Down In Arizona |work= Simple Flying |date= 20 Aug 2022}}</ref> It flew over the southern United States, the Gulf of Mexico, and South America, covering a distance of 30,000&nbsp;nmi (56,000&nbsp;km) during the course of the flight.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://newatlas.com/aircraft/zephyr-8-mission-ends-abruptly-record-breaking-endurance-flight/ |title= Unexpected end to Zephyr 8's record-smashing 64-day endurance flight |work= New Atlas |date= 24 August 2022}}</ref>
In July 2022, Zephyr S spent 26 days airborne, breaking its previous record from 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-62123819 | title=Zephyr breaks own record for longest unmanned flight | publisher=BBC News |access-date=13 July 2022 }}</ref> The flight began on 15&nbsp;June in [[Arizona]], and by 22&nbsp;July the plane was still flying after being aloft for 36&nbsp;days. It marked the Zephyr's first venture into international airspace and over water, and its longest continuous flight using satellite communication controls.<ref name=defensenews22july22>{{Cite web |last=Buchaniec |first=Catherine |date=2022-07-22 |title=Up, up and away: Airbus’ Zephyr drone breaks flight record high above Arizona |url=https://www.defensenews.com/unmanned/2022/07/22/up-up-and-away-airbus-zephyr-drone-breaks-flight-record-high-above-arizona/ |access-date=2022-09-26 |website=Defense News |language=en}}</ref> On 19 August 2022, the plane was lost over a desert in Arizona with no personal injury reported after a flight time of 64 days.<ref name=simpleflying20Aug2022>{{cite news |url= https://simpleflying.com/airbus-zephyr-flight-ends/ |title= The Airbus Zephyr Comes Crashing Down In Arizona |work= Simple Flying |date= 20 Aug 2022}}</ref> It flew over the southern United States, the Gulf of Mexico, and South America, covering a distance of 30,000&nbsp;nmi (56,000&nbsp;km) during the course of the flight.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://newatlas.com/aircraft/zephyr-8-mission-ends-abruptly-record-breaking-endurance-flight/ |title= Unexpected end to Zephyr 8's record-smashing 64-day endurance flight |work= New Atlas |date= 24 August 2022}}</ref>

Revision as of 10:51, 10 January 2023

Zephyr
An artist's impression of the UAV
Role High-altitude long endurance unmanned aircraft
National origin United Kingdom
Design group initially Qinetiq, now Airbus Defence and Space
Introduction 2017
Status Under development
Number built 3

The Airbus Zephyr is a series of lightweight solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). The latest model is a high-altitude platform station capable of flying at 70,000 feet (21,000 m) for months at a time without fueling. It has a wingspan of 25 metres (82 ft) and weighs 75 kilograms (165 lb).[1][self-published source?]

Development

The Zephyr was originally designed and built in 2003 by the British defence contractor QinetiQ.[2]

In a 2008 demonstration for the US military, Zephyr 6 (a smaller-scale version) broke the official world record for the longest-duration unmanned flight, however its 82-hour flight at an altitude of 61,000 ft (19,000 m) did not set an official record because FAI officials were not involved in the flight.[3]

On 23 July 2010, the Zephyr 7 took the FAI duration record after a 336 hours (14 days), 22 min and 8 s,[4] reaching 21,562 metres.[5] The unrefuelled, unmanned aerial vehicle could remain airborne for months using its solar cells and rechargeable batteries.[6][7] It more than doubled the previous endurance record for unmanned flight.[8][9]

In March 2013, the project was sold to EADS Astrium (now Airbus Defence and Space), where it was successfully re-flown as part of the High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) programme.[10][11]

In 2014 it flew for 11 days in winter,[12] and later near civilian airspace.[13]

In November 2015, British prime minister David Cameron laid out plans during the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 in the House of Commons, to enhance Great Britain's intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capacity, stating that the UK was to field a "British-designed unmanned aircraft that will fly at the edge of the Earth's atmosphere and allow us to monitor our adversaries for weeks on end, providing critical intelligence for our armed forces." In February 2016, two Zephyr 8 planes were purchased.[14] In August 2016, the UK Ministry of Defence confirmed the purchase of a third Zephyr 8 platform.[15]

In 2016, a twin-tailed Zephyr T variant, providing a maritime surveillance and communications capability, was scheduled for flight testing in 2018.[16]

In summer 2018, for its maiden flight from Arizona, the Zephyr S remained aloft for 25 days 23 hours 57 minutes, nearly twice as long as the previous record flight of 14 days set by its predecessor.[17] It used Amprius lithium-ion batteries with silicon nanowire anodes for a 435 Wh/kg specific energy up from 300–320 Wh/kg.[18] High-efficiency, lightweight, and flexible inverted metamorphic multi-junction epitaxial lift-off GaAs solar cell sheets manufactured by MicroLink Devices provided the solar power with specific powers exceeding 1,500 W/kg and areal powers greater than 350 W/m2.[19]

In July 2022, Zephyr S spent 26 days airborne, breaking its previous record from 2018.[20] The flight began on 15 June in Arizona, and by 22 July the plane was still flying after being aloft for 36 days. It marked the Zephyr's first venture into international airspace and over water, and its longest continuous flight using satellite communication controls.[21] On 19 August 2022, the plane was lost over a desert in Arizona with no personal injury reported after a flight time of 64 days.[22] It flew over the southern United States, the Gulf of Mexico, and South America, covering a distance of 30,000 nmi (56,000 km) during the course of the flight.[23]

The aircraft was lost when one engine component (redesigned since) failed in an unusual high-altitude storm turbulence at 57,000ft.[24] By early 2023, Airbus planned to launch operations from the end of 2024 with around 18 aircraft.[24] By 2034, a 1,000 aircraft constellation could cover 2.9 billion people, and would provide emergency 4G/5G following natural disasters.[24] The larger Zephyr variant, with twice the payload capacity, is expected for 2026.[24]

Design

The Zephyr 6 is of carbon fiber construction and uses sunlight to charge a lithium–sulphur battery during the day, which powers the aircraft at night. The aircraft has been designed for use in observation and communications relay.[25]

The vehicle can circle over a particular area for extended periods, with particular emphasis on its potential civil and military applications as an Earth-observation and communications platform. During the day, Zephyr uses its solar cells spread across its wings to recharge high-power lithium–sulphur batteries and drive two propellers. At night, the energy stored in the batteries is sufficient to maintain Zephyr in the sky. The lithium–sulphur batteries are supplied by Sion, and the first version had a battery capacity of 3 kW·h.[26][27]

Zephyr 7 was larger, at 53 kg,[28] and capable of a maximum altitude between 65,000 and 70,000 feet,[29] it required five ground crew to launch, as opposed to three previously for the Zephyr 6.[30]

The Zephyr 8 has roughly 24 kg of batteries and a 5 kg payload,[14] and is 30% lighter and carry 50% more batteries than the Zephyr 7.[11] It has a 25-metre wingspan. By October 2021, it had flown 2,435 hours.[31]

Zephyr is under consideration for use as an airborne communication station, offering the possibility of replacing 250 cell sites.[1] It can be used to perform intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) with a wide visual payload coverage of 20×30 km (12.4×18.6 mi) and can be equipped with radar, LIDAR and infrared technologies.[21]

Endurance is targeted for up to 200-300 days.[24] An 8 kg (17.6 lb) mobile connectivity payload can serve up to 100,000 people on the ground.[24] A 5 kg Airbus-developed Opaz optical sensor can deliver 18cm-resolution imagery.[24]

Specifications

Model Zephyr 7[citation needed] Zephyr 8 (Zephyr S)[citation needed]
Payload 2.5 kg (5.5 lb) 5 kg (11 lb)
Batteries 24 kg (53 lb) Amprius lithium-ion
Solar cells Amorphous silicon Triple-junction inverted metamorphic (IMM) epitaxial lift-off (ELO) GaAs-based
Span 22.5 m (74 ft) 25–28 m (82–92 ft)
MTOW 53 kg (117 lb) 75 kg (165 lb)
Motors 2× Newcastle University custom permanent-magnet synchronous motor
Power 0.45 kW (0.60 hp) each
Cruise 30 kn (56 km/h)
Ceiling 70,741 ft (21,562 m) 76,100 ft (23,200 m)[31]
Endurance 14 days 64 days

Accidents and incidents

As of August 2022, three hull losses have been reported:

  • March 2019, Wyndham, Western Australia[32]
  • 28 September 2019, Wyndham, Western Australia, during the first flight after the first incident in March 2019[33][32]
  • 19 August 2022, Arizona, just before breaking the record for the longest flight of any aircraft (a total of 64 days)[22]

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ a b Wang, Brian (23 October 2021). "Airbus Solar Powered Aircraft Can Fly for 18 Days And Replace 250 Cell Towers". NextBigFuture.com.
  2. ^ Amos, Jonathan (24 June 2003). "Strato-plane looks forward". BBC News. British engineers are preparing to push the limits of aeroplane technology
  3. ^ Amos, Jonathan (24 August 2008). "Solar plane makes record flight". BBC News.
  4. ^ "FAI Record ID No. 16052". FAI. Absolute Record of class U (Experimental / New Technologies) for Duration
  5. ^ "FAI Record ID No. 18683". FAI. Record of class U (Experimental / New Technologies) for True altitude
  6. ^ Amos, Jonathan (23 July 2010). "'Eternal plane' returns to Earth". BBC News.
  7. ^ Haynes, Deborah (3 February 2016). "UK drones to spy from the stratosphere". The Times.
  8. ^ Amos, Jonathan (14 July 2010). "Zephyr solar plane set for record endurance flight". BBC News.
  9. ^ Amos, Jonathan (17 July 2010). "Zephyr solar plane flies 7 days non-stop". BBC News.
  10. ^ "First flight of Astrium's Zephyr solar HAPS" (Press release). Airbus. 25 September 2013. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013.
  11. ^ a b "United Kingdom Ministry of Defence places order for two solar-powered Airbus Zephyr 8s" (Press release). Airbus. 18 February 2016.
  12. ^ Tovey, Alan (31 August 2014). "Fly 11 days non-stop? Now that's long-haul". Daily Telegraph.
  13. ^ Woodrow Bellamy III (1 October 2014). "Airbus Zephyr Proves Value For Civil Operations in Middle East". Avionics Today. Access Intelligence LLC.
  14. ^ a b "MoD to buy high-flying solar planes". BBC. 2 February 2016.
  15. ^ "MOD buys third record-breaking UAV" (Press release). UK MOD. 17 August 2016.
  16. ^ "Farnborough 2016: Airbus releases Zephyr T details, outlines CONOPS for systems". Janes. 14 July 2016. Archived from the original on 25 August 2016.
  17. ^ Dan Thisdell (8 August 2018). "Airbus sets flight endurance record with Zephyr UAV". Flightglobal.
  18. ^ Graham Warwick (13 December 2018). "Record-Breaking Zephyr's Battery Holds eVTOL Potential". Aviation Week & Space Technology.
  19. ^ MicroLink Devices (17 October 2018). "MicroLink Devices Powers Successful Stratospheric Flight of Airbus Defence and Space Zephyr S HAPS Solar Aircraft" (Press release).
  20. ^ "Zephyr breaks own record for longest unmanned flight". BBC News. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  21. ^ a b Buchaniec, Catherine (22 July 2022). "Up, up and away: Airbus' Zephyr drone breaks flight record high above Arizona". Defense News. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  22. ^ a b "The Airbus Zephyr Comes Crashing Down In Arizona". Simple Flying. 20 August 2022.
  23. ^ "Unexpected end to Zephyr 8's record-smashing 64-day endurance flight". New Atlas. 24 August 2022.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g Craig Hoyle (6 January 2023). "Airbus readies high-flying Zephyr for 2024 service launch". Flightglobal.
  25. ^ QinetiQ Group. "Zephyr – QinetiQ High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAVs)". Archived from the original on 26 August 2008.
  26. ^ QinetiQ Group (16 July 2010). "QinetiQ's Zephyr solar powered unmanned aircraft soars to new world records" (Press release). Archived from the original on 23 July 2010.
  27. ^ Bush, Steve (28 September 2007). "Inside Qinetiq's Zephyr solar powered plane". Electronics weekly.
  28. ^ "Wing-to-tail guide to Zephyr, the 'eternal' plane". BBC News. 23 July 2010.
  29. ^ "British MoD Acquires Solar-Powered Zephyr UAV". 17 February 2016.
  30. ^ Goodier, Rob (7 July 2010). "Solar Plane Aims for New Record: 3 Months Aloft Without a Pilot or Fuel". Popular mechanics.
  31. ^ a b Sampson, Ben (15 October 2021). "Airbus Zephyr breaks more aviation records during flight testing". Aerospace Testing International.
  32. ^ a b "In-flight break-up involving Airbus Zephyr unmanned aerial vehicle, near Wyndham Airport, Western Australia, on 28 September 2019". Australian Transport Safety Bureau. 28 September 2020.
  33. ^ "Outback aviation incident linked to UK Ministry of Defence". 9News. 12 April 2019.
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