UAV achieves flight record

During a set of flight trials at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, the QinetiQ Zephyr High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) solar powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has achieved its longest flight to date.

Of the three aircraft flown, one flew for 18 hours, including 7 hours in the dark. Batteries supplied power during that period.

The Zephyr was designed to be "capable of capturing and disseminating information, while operating at altitudes of more than 30km."

Source: QinetiQ's Zephyr UAV achieves flight record