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無人機不斷打破記錄的民間授權飛行器

戴倫quickseptember 28，2014zephyr無人機不斷突破第一次授權的民間flight＜P記錄>西風已經成為第一個高海拔的僞衛星（HAPS）係統完成由民間權威

圖像畫廊授權飛行（2幅）
太陽能、高空長航時（黑爾）無人機以前稱為澤弗，它現在是空客高空僞衛星部分（HAPS）程序，稱為空中客車的西風，繼續其破紀錄的方式在其第一次航班在迪拜上空本月早些時候。

在2010飛行創造了三項世界紀錄，包括336小時的無人駕駛飛機的最長續航飛行紀錄，22分8秒，西風已經設立了一個61696英尺（18805米）記錄的最高海拔在阿拉伯聯合酋長國（UAE），在達到在飛行測試持續了23小時47分鍾阿聯酋最長飛行。

但不是新的高度和耐力的記錄，是最顯著的一個方麵的飛行，但事實上，它標誌著第一次航班已經由國家研究局授權：在這種情況下，迪拜民用航空管理局（DCAA）。飛機開始在31是當地時間9月11日的西風從迪拜的margham地區完成一整天的工作周期接近一個在世界上最繁忙的三個機場不影響民用航空交通，落地前回到迪拜，在9月12日上午6:18。

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團隊負責飛行測試包括工程師從酋長製度的先進的科學和技術（eiast），這已與空客防務&；空間共同開發的高空平臺通信係統。兩組一起在今年3月準備演示模型和風，最終重達34公斤（75磅）和吹噓翼展18 m（59英尺）。

< P >”在迪拜的飛行錶現和在世界上最擁擠的空域地區操作的能力，”克裏斯說凱萊赫，空中客車的HAPS項目技術總監。“我非常感謝迪拜民航局和其他部門的支持和努力，聯合eiast空客團隊以確保安全和成功的平流層飛行密切合作。與所有的係統工作在溫度介於40°C和80°C（104°F和112°F）和高達61696英尺的最大高度，該航班進一步加強用戶和監管者和信心。”

與在平流層飛行的能力，和風結合的高度和應用衛星的好處，和飛機的可用性、靈活性和覆蓋。

的eiast /空客團隊針對各種應用的飛機，包括熱成像、全高清視頻成像、環境監測、急救服務的支持，更臨時通信網絡與導航係統的增強。試驗飛行看到和配備了全高清視頻擁有30倍變焦能力和有效載荷提供約10厘米的分辨率（4），根據高度。

程序現在將進入第二階段，這是由於在2016完成，將涉及研究飛機，預計投産到年底，第一代的發展。

來源：空客DS，eiast