에어버스 제퍼 태양광 비행기, 최장 비행 기록 깨 VIDEO: Airbus Zephyr solar aircraft breaks record for longest flight

Airbus Zephyr solar aircraft breaks record for longest flight

By Trevor Mogg — Posted on August 10, 2018 - 1:30AM

A solar-powered aircraft built by Airbus recently broke the record for the longest continuous flight.

On its first outing, the unmanned Zephyr S stayed aloft for 25 days, 23 hours, and 57 minutes after taking off from Arizona on July 11.

에어버스 제퍼 태양광 비행기, 최장 비행 기록 깨 25일 23시간 57분 에어버스에 의해 만들어진 태양열 항공기가 최근 가장 긴 연속 비행 기록을 깼다. 무인 제퍼 S는 7월 11일 아리조나에서 이륙한 후 25일 23시간 57분 동안 고공행진을 계속했다. 이 성과는 몇 년 전 제퍼 프로토타입이 세운 이전 기록을 11일이나 앞당겼다. 제퍼 S는 태양 광선을 이용하여 두 개의 프로펠러를 구동시키는 모터에 전력을 공급하는데, 이것은 전적으로 태양에너지로 작동하도록 하는 시스템이다.  야간에는 낮 일광 시간 동안 온보드 배터리에 의해 저장된 전원에 의존한다. 에어버스 제퍼는 기존 항공기 훨씬 높은 7만 피트(2.1km) 상공으로 비행한다 "이 고도에서 비행했던 유일한 민간 항공기는 콩코드였고, 유명한 군용 U2와 SR-71 블랙버드만이 비슷한 수준에서 운항할 수 있었다,"라고 에어버스 관계자는 말한다  제퍼는 25m(82피트)의 날개폭을 뽐내고 단 75kg(165파운드)으로 영국 판버러에 있는 한 시설에서 만들어졌다. 황기철 콘페이퍼 에디터 큐레이터 Ki Chul Hwang, conpaper editor, curator

The achievement smashes the previous record — set by an earlier Zephyr prototype several years ago — by 11 days.

The Zephyr S harnesses the sun’s rays to power motors that drive its two propellers, a system that allows it to operate entirely on solar power. At night, the vehicle relies on power stored by its onboard batteries during daylight hours.

The Airbus creation flies at an altitude of 70,000 feet, way above weather systems and conventional air traffic. “The only civil aircraft that used to fly at this altitude was Concorde, and only the famous military U2 and SR-71 Blackbird could operate at similar levels,” the aerospace giant said in a release.

Sporting a 25-meter (82-foot) wingspan and tipping the scales at just 75 kilos (165 pounds), the flimsy looking aircraft was built at a facility in Farnborough, England.

The ability of the Zephyr S to stay in the sky for such a long period of time — the goal is to keep it aloft for months at a time — has prompted Airbus to describe it as “not quite an aircraft and not quite a satellite,” preferring instead to call it a “pseudo-satellite.”

Indeed, the plan is to offer companies satellite services that are cheaper to launch and maintain than space-based options. The first customer for the aircraft has been confirmed as the U.K.’s Ministry of Defence.

Airbus says its solar-powered aircraft has the potential to provide a wide range of applications, including reconnaissance missions, maritime surveillance, border patrol missions, communications, and also disaster management, helping, for example, to monitor the spread of wildfires or oil spills.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/airbus-zephyr-solar-aircraft-record/?utm_medium=push&utm_source=1sig&utm_campaign=One%20Signal

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