Boeing‘s ’Ginormous, Hydrogen-Powered Uber-Drone’ Takes First Flight
- Posted on June 5, 2012 at 10:46am by
Liz Klimas
- Print »
- Email »
Phantom Eye makes its first test flight. (Photo: Boeing)
It may have had a rocky landing, but the new Boeing unmanned drone with technology enabling it to stay airborne for days has completed its first autonomous flight at Edwards Air Force Base.
The Phantom Eye is a piece of equipment described by Wired as a “ginormous, hydrogen-powered uber-drone.” It earned this name for its 150-foot wingspan and its 450-pound carrying capacity. Not to mention the fact that it is powered by liquid-hydrogen, allowing it to go four days in the air without refueling.
(Photo: Boeing)
“This day ushers in a new era of persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) where an unmanned aircraft will remain on station for days at a time providing critical information and services,” Darryl Davis, president, Boeing Phantom Works, said in a statement. “This flight puts Boeing on a path to accomplish another aerospace first — the capability of four days of unrefueled, autonomous flight.”
Boeing said Monday that the 28-minute flight of the Phantom Eye began at 6:22 a.m. Friday and the aircraft reached an altitude of 4,080 feet and a cruising speed of 62 knots before landing at the California desert base. Boeing said after touching down, the drone was damaged when the landing gear dug into a lakebed and broke.
Watch the test flight:
Still, Wired writes this is a “far cry” from its goal maximum altitude of 65,000 feet with top speeds of 150 knots. Meeting these benchmarks would make it the “biggest and longest-loitering” unarmed drone created in the U.S.
“This flight demonstrated Phantom Eye’s initial handling and maneuverability capabilities,” Phantom Eye Program Manager Drew Mallow said in a statement. “The team is now analyzing data from the mission and preparing for our next flight. When we fly the demonstrator again, we will enter higher and more demanding envelopes of high-altitude flight.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Popular Stories
Paper Details Obama Admin’s Alleged Secret Note Sent to Iran: If Israel Attacks, We Won’t Get Involved 578 Comments
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 405 Comments
‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 404 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 372 Comments
President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 355 Comments
Faith
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 405 Comments
Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 404 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
- President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 355 Comments
- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 150 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know Read More- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 302 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 405 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
Comments (79)
rappini
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 6:32pmAdd your comments
Report Post »earl33
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 9:01pmBig brother is getting larger soon we will not be able go go anyh where without some one watching.
Report Post »rappini
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 6:31pmDon‘t get to worked up the Chicoms will just confuse it’s electronics and have it land in Iran.
Report Post »RMJR
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 5:47pmI remember about 5 years ago, the push for hydrogen powered vehicles were at a point that they were even seen on the roads, had hydrogen stations at gas stations, and the knowledge that it, hydrogen, is like air for plants. Major automakers were building the use of these, and it seemed a reliable, cheap source to really cut down on costs on energy use…then, it just stopped, and the push for wind and solar and batteries were the real answer…yet, with no proof…in fact, every area that the proof was said to be existent…it turned out a bold face lie.
Report Post »The push for Global Warming, more EPA and tax dollars, like water, being given to environmental (at least they get the mental right) orgs…yet have proven they are just a talking gun, with no facts.
One example is using corn to substitute, because it is safer and more environmentally friendly than oil and natural gas. Al Gore was head of that push…and now that, that lie has been settled (unlike Global Warming scam), Gore and environmentalists have had a turn about face,,,yet the fines they forced on businesses and MILLIONS stolen from tax payers and BILLIONS that businesses sold out for to support the lie, they have been caught, and they want us to forget they pushed this.
If anyone should lose funding by taxpayers, and tax exempt status, these nutjobs should…as well as facing fines and jail time…and not club med jail, chain gang jail.
Now, isn’t is funny our military touts this hydrogen technology? Funny, huh!
ALL4FREEDOM
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 7:57pmThey put the cart before the horse. Hydrogen is the perfect fuel – no pollution – burn it, and you get water vapor. Problem: it is too expensive to produce economically in the quantities that would be required, and people are afraid of it (Hindenberg). The intermediate step is natural gas, which we have in vast abundance. Once conversion to NG made (well underway) the infrastructure will be in place to move up to hydrogen when the production problem is solved. The beauty is, we‘ve got about 200 years to figure it out because that’s how much gas there is in the good ‘ol USA.
Report Post »AmericanPatriot01
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 11:10pmHydrogen is not expensive to create. That is another LIE. It can be gotten from “cracking water” and that can be accomplished with 12v electricity and very low amperage which can be gotten from a cars generator or a solar panel. It can take a little time but it wouldnt take as long as it takes to finish your shift to fill the tank to take you homw and while the car is running it can convert it on the fly. Expense is a LIE! The fact that they cannot charge you for the water that falls from the sky and they cannot make you a slave to the energy is the reason that is has not be developed and allowed to get to the public markets is the whole reason for it not being available today!!!
Report Post »1TrueOne55
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 2:57pm@ALL4FREEDOM The Hindenberg‘s hydrogen tanks did not cause the fire you see in films if you would go look at YouTube hydrogen experiments done by DY’ers you will see that hydrogen explodes with a force you don’t see in the Hindenburg videos. Even the History Channels in-depth show on the Hindenburg said that it was not the Hydrogen that caused the disaster, it was the “DOPING” compound used by using canvas cloth as the covering material for the metal frame to allow the Zeppelin to float. It was the same compound used in WW I plane wings at the time, it was highly flammable.
Hydrogen can be extracted from water in its liquid form. This is the fuel that many energy/OIL companies fear just like the Whaling industry did when crude oil was first discovered and processed to replace Kerosene as lamplight fuel in the late 18th Century. And when you see the simple methods used on YouTube to create the amount of Hydrogen needed to power a piston power internal combustion engine you will wonder why we have not done this sooner. I was reading about hydrogen power on the early 70′s when the first Oil crisis hit the US. I had not graduated HS yet and a magazine article in the School LIbrary caught my eye and even those artists at the CARtoon comics were making fun of the technology at the time, claiming that the world would smell like rotten eggs and flooded with water because the byproduct of burning hydrogen is water and other inert gases.
Maybe Boeing should power their flee
Report Post »ChemicalEngineer
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 9:56pmA few corrections to the comments above. Hydrogen IS expensive to make. Separating water into hydrogen and oxygen by electrolysis (passing a current through the water) is not a cheap way to make hydrogen, in fact it is probably the most expensive way to make hydrogen. You will use up WAY more energy producing electricity to make hydrogen in this manner than you will ever get in return when you use the hydrogen for a fuel. The least expensive way to make hydrogen is by steam reforming of natural gas, a chemical process (google it). You get CO2 as a byproduct. Burning hydrogen is a very inefficient way to convert hydrogen to useful energy. Fuel cells are much more efficient. Hydrogen is very explosive in concentrations of 18-56% and flammable in concentrations of 4 to 75%. On the Hindenberg, the hydrogen was stored in concentrations of 100% hydrogen, consequently it was not flammable. However, once the flammable aluminized fabric coating on the dirigible started to burn and the bags containing the hydrogen lost containment, the hydrogen would have been released and mixed with air providing fuel to the fire.
Report Post »possom
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 5:39pmIf you hit the tank with a deer slug would it explode like the hindenburg?
Report Post »Wyatt's Torch
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 5:56pmI dunno, but you get 4 days to try it
Report Post »Soothsayer
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 8:07pmWT, laughed my butt off on your response.
Report Post »Wolfgang the Gray
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 8:46pmGood luck hitting it at 65,000ft. up. Just think of the big government using these to monitor those that don’t agree with BHO in 2013. Phantom Eye, coming over your neighborhood.
Report Post »vanman4446
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 9:13pmHow about if you hit your car with a full tank of gas, isn’t that just as dangerous.
Report Post »ZillaMod
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 5:21pmIt looks like a giant flying sperm.
Report Post »benjaminbritton
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 5:02pmGod bless American aerospace technology. France copied most of America’s technology and then put a joystick in their airliners; that was done so they wouldn’t forget what a joystick was really all about. AirBus is conglomerate of reverse-engineered parts flying (sometimes) in close formation. I hope the next generation of Boeing UAV’s has the radar signature of a gnat. If it ain’t Boeing, I ain’t going…how true! BB
Report Post »ChiefGeorge
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 5:25pmYes! Its a great testament to innovation and private endeavor…but what day gonna use it for is the problemo. Spying on Americans?
Report Post »1Karen
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 4:57pmThat is rich. four days is a lot of hang time for all the skeet shooters out there. Probably won’t go over well with the moonshiners.
Report Post »It never pays to let Government do more than is allowed. They wouldn’t like it a bit if we went to Washington and did the same to them. WE could, take this to a National vote, and start watching them too…
Could you see them flying over your house and forcing you pay extra property taxes unless you prove that old trailer/extra cow/fence is really Uncle Bob’s? Have you ever been accused of having more than you say by the IRS? I am accused a lot, I pay the fines/lawyer/tax accountant, afterwards, I get the fined amount back, nothing else. They start with penalties you pay up front until you prove yourself right. How about they get a little lazy and start adding up what is on your property via your pictures and how to tax that also? They do it to us in the farms already. Don’t let what happens to small business, happen to the everyday citizens, because they want more money and you ARE next, and this is how it’s done.
This is fair warning from someone who cares, and does not want to see what happens to me, happen to anyone else.
lukerw
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 4:08pmA Flying… Dino Sperm!
Report Post »ThatDamnSam
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 3:42pmIt’s the micro drones made to imitate birds in flight that concern me. I don’t think we are that far away from technology that can land on our window sill and watch me and my family watch TV……. or whatever.
Report Post »So Cal Tea
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 4:06pmOnly 4 days? The fact that it has no landing gear………means it’s designed to remain in flight for the duration of service. Just a thought.
Report Post »Thane36425
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 3:19pmNow send that thing to monitor the Mexican border and use it to catch illegals. You know that won’t happen though. You know it will be used, as other drones are, to spy on Americans, starting with farmers and rural folks. The EPA is already using drones to spy on farmers in case they are doing something horrible like letting rain water run off their fields into a stream or just letting their dirt roads get mud puddles. Once most rural folk have been driven into the authorized city areas, then government will have a much easier time spying on everyone 24/7 and controlling what they do.
Report Post »williaml
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 3:37pmhave you seen the movie or read the book 1984?
Report Post »this is it!
1Karen
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 5:14pmToo late, they already use that stuff for my property taxes, they pulled it up for me in their own office a couple of years ago. I’m afraid it is the individual, the non self employed they are after now. Small businesses has nothing left to give, the big companies get out of paying taxes by forwarding business funded insurance and retirement plans as a commonplace thing, but the way they are structured, they lean on the government (our money) to make that dream happen for the politicians, but now, they can’t get out of that back scratching cycle without failing. So, that only leaves you for more money…
Report Post »1kingforall
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 3:18pmI just picked up the dog’s poop threw it over the fence and it stayed up for about 1.3sec WOW when it hit it was still poop !
Report Post »freeamericanow
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 3:00pmHmm. O.K. unless it has to land, right? Is this one of those drones made to spy on Americans and can see through walls? And . . . how will they make sure it doesn‘t fall into the wrong hands and then they’ll be making them too? It”s all pretty scary to me.
Report Post »williaml
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 3:39pmjust like 1984, U B preachin’ now.
Report Post »If you have not seen the movie, read the book, nuff said
blair152
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 2:28pmI’m impressed. There’s plenty of hot air in Washington. Maybe we could harness that for the next drone. :)
Report Post »williaml
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 3:43pmmust be methane because bad breath is still CO2.
Report Post »wait, would that form of hot air be considered a greenhouse gas?
sorry, that would be more like what we should call OUT HOUSE GAS.
JimCDew
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 2:23pmIt never ceases to amaze me that the evil military-industrial complex continues to push the envelope of invention to protect us all.
Report Post »Ponyexpress
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 2:11pmHow can this be good news? Only for Boeing and more of our tax dollars
Report Post »Link8on
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 2:12amEnterprising college kids could order off the shelf solar components , motor fans, etc… assemble, and launch 500 drone mini zepplins that could stay airborne longer for less cost than one of these new test planes.
This is before you even factor in the fuel cost.
The cost balance would be on the customized surveylance gear installed.
Report Post »Possum45
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 12:56pmLooks like a flying fuel cell???
Do you know what happens when this thing crashes into a populated area???
Boooooooom-Shooooooooooka-Loooooooka!!!!!!!
Report Post »Bruce1369
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 2:20pmObviously you know nothing about fuel cells. Back to your mommies basement with you. This forum is for adults.
Report Post »eagle2715
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 2:53pmDespite the fact that your terribly wrong, what aircraft doesn’t make a mess when it comes back to earth in an uncontrolled manner?
Report Post »williaml
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 3:50pmjust think, they do this with our own money that they took from us.
Report Post »we would be the stupid ones for allowing it to happen.
Possum45
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 4:29pmSticks and stones………….
Since I’m a Grandfather, and a little too old to live in my mommie’s basement, I won’t even bother
to ask her!!
Two primary reasons cars arn’t powered by hydrogen fuel cells, expense, and because they are
Highly explosive!!!
Na Na Nana BoBo!!!
Report Post »Gizzy
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 6:28pmBruce1369, If you look closely at the article it doesn’t say anything about a fuel cell, it says liquid-hydrogen! Sounds like a highly explosive liquid on board to me.
Report Post »Mr Sanders
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 12:16pmSo their target is to make a drone go 4 days and 150MPH – impressive. Must have solved the loss problem of using liquid hydrogen. Cool!
Why not just make stratosphereic dirigibles that can float/move for weeks… its a lot cheaper? We can use safer gases? Wonder how much that cost me; taxpayer-wize, indirectly speaking?
Yeah! That’s a good question – why give out intell on our developments?
“I think” that Big-G [NLRB] threatened Boeing due their new plant being built in SC [threat - loss of Federal contract awards] that a concession was build GREEN-tech; either your with us or against us type scenario. We should experiment with other ways of propelling ‘objects’ without being air-breathers…… but really…. we need to start looking into power systems for omni-directional inertial field dampening.
Besides, it seems that this Big-G has given top priority access, when it comes to freedom of movement through our servers, to China.
Report Post »isobamamadd
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 3:53pmhttp://www.combatreform.org/airborneaircraftcarriers.htm
Report Post »soybomb315
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 11:56amA drone that can stay in the air for days….The news keeps getting better and better
Report Post »Temporal
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 11:52amThe EPA’s new weapon in its war against cattle ranchers?
Report Post »Thomas Paine
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 11:50amSkynet
Report Post »juancarnuba
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 1:56pmExactly!!!
It may be time to say “Hasta la vista, baby”
Report Post »Miami
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 11:46amYou guys mean that Uran is not doing the testing on this bird, I thought that was the deal Ob had worked out…?
PS; Why are we advertising our new spying developments? It’s not a secret if they keep warning them what to look for.
Report Post »williaml
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 3:51pmIt is not really for them, HELLO.
Report Post »recoveringneocon
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 11:20amThe government has Drons spying on us and The “ezalB” and “nnelG” is using Goolge.
Check who is tracking you here. Didn’t “nnelG” tell us how evil Goolge is? Why is he having Goolge track you?
Yes, I know I spelled Goolge wrong.
Report Post »ram921
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 1:59pmwho or what is nnelG and ezalB please?
Report Post »recoveringneocon
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 2:09pmBackwards
Report Post »teddrunk
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 11:02amFrom the mighty B-17 Flying Fortress of the 1930s to today inventing ways for our government to spy on your own countrymen. Boeing, how far you have fallen.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 11:10amThe B-17 was a majestic bird, wasn’t it? Pretty basic by today’s standards, but it won the war in Europe.
Report Post »Link8on
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 2:02amSomething tells me that a high altitude Solar powered mini-Zepplin drone could stay up for years.
Using drone planes that burn fuel for this seems rather wasteful.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 10:56amThe Iranians a really looking forward to stealing one of those.
Report Post »cemerius
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 11:02amadd an “imapact” fuse and all the Iranians would get were a couple of wings……
Report Post »FNGRNFAN
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 12:29pmI’m just wondering how big the boom will be when it takes enemy fire.
Report Post »froggy19510
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 3:13pmThey won‘t need to steal one Obama’s peeps will send one to the middle east and it will “crash land” (in goodcondition) in Iran. Just like the last one did.
Report Post »mike_trivisonno
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 10:48amCompare this to the Chinese phone-pole puller.
Advantage? America.
Report Post »teddrunk
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 11:04amHow long does it stay unarmed? The Chi-Coms can only wish they could spy on their own citizens this well.
Report Post »romadave
Posted on June 5, 2012 at 11:34amRemember those old reds named Soviets?
They couldn’t make a decent clock radio or apartment building, or deliver potatoes and bread to supermarkets to meet demand. That was because they diverted most State resources to the survival of the State, which included their military.
In 1957, while we were putting Chevy’s in every garage, they built Sputnik and demonstrated their ability to launch an ICBM to any locataion on the planet.
Just because the Chinese don‘t have good trucks for their utility companies to use doesn’t mean that at their military level they aren’t exceedingly advanced. Just look at their ability to use human espionage and technology to steal us blind while we dither about responding to their hacking. Then they build a stealth fighter despite not having engineers trained to design it from scratch.
Pride before a fall.
Report Post »