Sounds like a satellite. Certainly nothing useful for transport.
The Russian S-550 Air Defense System (now finishing up testing) can take out satellites, so if the British want to get cute with this drone, I wish them luck.
Dean Ing was writing science fiction about aircraft like this some 40 years ago. Nice to see some of it finally happening.
Call within the next 19 minutes and get a second one for free!
We tested a similar concept plane at Yuma Proving Ground more than 10 years ago. I suspect battery tech has improved considerably since then.
Sounds like a good compliment to our U-2 and Global Hawk surveillance platforms. The Russians can shoot them down too, you takes steps to mitigate it.
Why ship it? If it has GPS it can just fly itself to your house. ;-)
After one actually stays aloft for a year then I’ll believe it.
I have an electric wall clock in my kitchen, you know, the one above the sink?
It’s been plugged in and running for 40+ years and keeps perfect time.
Sometimes, simple is a very good thing.
Solar power, basic motors, temperature and pressure accommodated, some impact resistance.
Solar powered flying thing goes for a year, sure. And it’s probably not all that complicated.
Now, if they could get my EZ Pass to work as effortlessly, we would really have something.
“150kg, same as a panda bear…”
Seems like a weird comparison.
How long will it stay up after President Biden dims the sun to end Climate Change?
HALE Platform
How much energy is lost in the transmission of that energy to earth?
Guys, when I get bored or hear something flying over my house I check https://www.adsbexchange.com/ to see what it is. A few months ago switched over to “military only” mode, and caught a drone flying around the Yuma proving grounds down south. I thought it was interesting as it was high, and not moving very fast. Then, the next day it was still there. Then a few days later, it flew down and over/around Panama, and then back, and flew for a week or so more before it disappeared. Here we go!
So, this isn’t science fiction, it’s a big set of solar panels, some lightweight batteries, and enough comm/smarts to fly itself around.
They mentioned icing on the wings which required bringing the craft down.
Hmmmmm - put enough of them up there and they could also solve globull warming by blocking out the sun...