IN FOCUS Eye on the sky Boeing’s unmanned Phantom Eye demonstrator prepares for a test flight just before daybreak last month at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Phantom Eye is a high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft system. The vehicle uses a unique, highly efficient liquid-hydrogen propulsion system that produces only water as a byproduct. The Phantom Eye demonstrator is designed to carry a 450-pound (200-kilogram) payload while staying aloft for up to four days; a full-size version is expected to carry 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms) and stay aloft for up to 10 days. These characteristics will allow Phantom Eye to provide constant intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or ISR, missile defense, or communications support—all while saving infrastructure, personnel and fuel costs for customers. This flight reached an altitude of 43,400 feet (13,300 meters). PHOTO: BOB FERGUSON/BOEING 46 Frontiers July 2014
Frontiers July 2014 Issue
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