AeroVironment has successfully flown it’s Global Observer unmanned aircraft for the first time powered by a hydrogen-fueled propulsion system. With a wingspan of 175 feet, the Global Observer is a long-endurance UAV that could stay aloft up to a week at a time according to the company.
The first hydrogen fueled flight lasted four hours and was at lower altitudes above Edwards Air Force Base in California. But the company says the aircraft would fly missions at 65,000 feet making it an observation platform and communications link over a very wide area approximately 600 miles in diameter. By combining a pair of Global Observers, each of which could fly for up to a week at a time, operators could provide continuous coverage over any part of the earth’s surface for “as long as needed” according to AeroVironment.
A liquid hydrogen powered internal combustion engine drives a generator that powers the four propellers as well as batteries and operational payloads. At the high altitudes the Global Observer is expected to fly, it would be flying above most weather and other air traffic, possibly simplifying the use of the aircraft in existing airspace.
While military uses for the Global Observer may be obvious, civilian uses are also a priority. With continuous coverage over a wide area, the unmanned aircraft can perform similar duties to a satellite, albeit at a much lower altitude and at a fraction of the cost. The UAV has some of the persistence qualities of a satellite, along with the flexibility and higher resolution of today’s unmanned aircraft.
The aircraft could be deployed as a communications relay over disaster areas, as a border patrol platform or for scientific remote sensing. With the ability to quickly change payloads and capabilities, the Global Observer’s mission could be changed or updated as needed.
This week’s first hydrogen flight is the beginning of a flight test program that will gradually expand the altitude and duration of the aircraft.
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