Darren QuickSeptember 28, 2014Zephyr UAV continues to break records on first authorized civil flight

The Zephyr has become the first High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) system to complete a flight authorized by a civil authority

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The solar-powered, high-altitude long endurance (HALE) UAV previously known as the Qinetiq Zephyr, which is now part of the Airbus High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) program and called the Airbus Zephyr, has continued its record-breaking ways in its first civil flight in the skies over Dubai earlier this month.

Having set three world records in a 2010 flight, including the record for the longest endurance flight for an unmanned aircraft of 336 hours, 22 minutes and 8 seconds, the Zephyr has now set a record of 61,696 ft (18,805 m) for the highest altitude reached in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), along with the longest flight in the UAE with the test flight lasting 23 hours and 47 minutes.

But it is not the latest altitude and endurance records that are the most notable aspects of the flight, but the fact it marked the first time a HAPS flight has been authorized by a civil authority: in this case, the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA). The flight started at 6:31 am local time on September 11 with the Zephyr taking off from the Margham area of Dubai and completing a full day/night cycle of operation close to one of the three busiest airports in the world without affecting civil air traffic, before landing back in Dubai at 6:18 am on September 12.

The team responsible for the test flight included engineers from the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST), which has partnered with Airbus Defence & Space to jointly develop the HAPS system. The two groups came together in March of this year to prepare the demonstration model Zephyr, which ended up weighing 34 kg (75 lb) and boasted a wingspan of 18 m (59 ft).

"The flight in Dubai demonstrated the ability of Zephyr to operate in regions of the world’s most crowded airspaces," said Chris Kelleher, Technical Director of the Airbus HAPS program. ”I am immensely grateful for the support and diligence of the Dubai CAA and other authorities in working closely with the combined EIAST Airbus Team to ensure a safe and successful stratospheric flight. With all systems working well in temperatures ranging between +40° C and -80° C (104° F and -112° F) and up to a maximum altitude of 61,696 ft, this flight further reinforces confidence in Zephyr for users and regulators."

With the ability to fly in the stratosphere, the Zephyr combines the benefits of a satellite in terms of altitude and applications, and an aircraft in terms of re-usability, flexibility and coverage.

The EIAST/Airbus team is targeting various applications for the aircraft, including thermal imaging, Full HD video imaging, environmental monitoring, emergency services support, the creation of temporary communications networks and the enhancement of navigation systems. The test flight saw the Zephyr equipped with a Full-HD video payload boasting 30 times zooming capability and providing imaging resolution of around 10 cm (4 in), depending on altitude.

The program will now move into the second phase, which is due to be completed in 2016 and will involve the development of the first generation of the HAPS aircraft that is projected to go into operation by the end of that year.

Sources: Airbus DS, EIAST

Zephyr无人机不断打破记录的民间授权飞行器

戴伦quickseptember 28，2014zephyr无人机不断突破第一次授权的民间flight＜P记录>西风已经成为第一个高海拔的伪卫星（HAPS）系统完成由民间权威

图像画廊授权飞行（2幅）
太阳能、高空长航时（黑尔）无人机以前称为泽弗，它现在是空客高空伪卫星部分（HAPS）程序，称为空中客车的西风，继续其破纪录的方式在其第一次航班在迪拜上空本月早些时候。

在2010飞行创造了三项世界纪录，包括336小时的无人驾驶飞机的最长续航飞行纪录，22分8秒，西风已经设立了一个61696英尺（18805米）记录的最高海拔在阿拉伯联合酋长国（UAE），在达到在飞行测试持续了23小时47分钟阿联酋最长飞行。

但不是新的高度和耐力的记录，是最显著的一个方面的飞行，但事实上，它标志着第一次航班已经由国家研究局授权：在这种情况下，迪拜民用航空管理局（DCAA）。飞机开始在31是当地时间9月11日的西风从迪拜的margham地区完成一整天的工作周期接近一个在世界上最繁忙的三个机场不影响民用航空交通，落地前回到迪拜，在9月12日上午6:18。

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团队负责飞行测试包括工程师从酋长制度的先进的科学和技术（eiast），这已与空客防务&；空间共同开发的高空平台通信系统。两组一起在今年3月准备演示模型和风，最终重达34公斤（75磅）和吹嘘翼展18 m（59英尺）。

< P >”在迪拜的飞行表现和在世界上最拥挤的空域地区操作的能力，”克里斯说凯莱赫，空中客车的HAPS项目技术总监。“我非常感谢迪拜民航局和其他部门的支持和努力，联合eiast空客团队以确保安全和成功的平流层飞行密切合作。与所有的系统工作在温度介于40°C和80°C（104°F和112°F）和高达61696英尺的最大高度，该航班进一步加强用户和监管者和信心。”

与在平流层飞行的能力，和风结合的高度和应用卫星的好处，和飞机的可用性、灵活性和覆盖。

的eiast /空客团队针对各种应用的飞机，包括热成像、全高清视频成像、环境监测、急救服务的支持，更临时通信网络与导航系统的增强。试验飞行看到和配备了全高清视频拥有30倍变焦能力和有效载荷提供约10厘米的分辨率（4），根据高度。

程序现在将进入第二阶段，这是由于在2016完成，将涉及研究飞机，预计投产到年底，第一代的发展。

来源：空客DS，eiast