AeroVironment Global Observer

The Global Observer is an unmanned aircraft from the U.S. company AeroVironment.

History

The first prototype completed on August 5, 2010 at the Edwards AFB about his lasting one hour maiden flight. A total of three machines are ordered for a pilot program of the U.S. military. The machines are to serve in the military as an emergency replacement for communication satellites and to be able to operate up to seven days at an altitude of about 19,000 m. The manufacturer offers them for civilian purposes such as environmental and forest fire monitoring. Due to the lack of demand of the armed forces put the Pentagon in 2013 the funding for the project.

Incidents

On 1 April 2011, the Global Observer crashed on its ninth test flight at Edwards AFB from previously unknown causes.

Construction

The Global Observer is an approximately 3.5 -ton high-wing monoplane with a wingspan of 53.3 m. As drive for the four propeller serves a respective electric motor. In the first flight came to power supply or batteries are used, which were replaced on 11 January 2011 by a hydrogen-powered internal combustion engine with an attached 60 kW generator. As a payload of the first prototype 180 kg are given.

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