"The company described the drone as eventually performing a "controlled water ditching" around 6:30 am Eastern Time, but the aircraft "subsequently sank due to its non-buoyant composite structure." By the time it went under, the Skydweller drone had performed a record-breaking, solar-powered flight of eight days and 14 minutes-longer than any previous flights as either a drone or crewed aircraft."
"The company Skydweller Aero commemorated it as an "operational prototype" that had "validated the practical military utility of a persistent, medium-altitude solar aircraft" despite the loss at sea. The aircraft's earlier accomplishments will almost certainly endure in the public imagination."
"Now, the crash of the Skydweller drone means that the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne won't get to display the historic aircraft per an original agreement with Skydweller Aero, according to SWI Swissinfo. That represents a blow for aviation enthusiasts unless future salvage operations can be carried out."
"Skydweller Aero told Ars that it has no other prototypes immediately ready to replace the lost drone-but the company's blog post described "planned upgrades using existing technology" that could enable future solar-powered drones to better withstand extreme weather conditions."
A Skydweller drone was last tracked north of Cancun, Mexico, on May 4. The company reported a controlled water ditching around 6:30 a.m. Eastern Time, followed by sinking because of its non-buoyant composite structure. Before going under, the drone completed a record-breaking solar-powered flight lasting eight days and 14 minutes longer than any previous drone or crewed aircraft. The loss prevented a planned display at the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne. The company said the prototype validated the practical military utility of persistent, medium-altitude solar aircraft. Future solar-powered drones may benefit from planned upgrades using existing technology to better withstand extreme weather conditions.
#solar-powered-aviation #unmanned-aerial-vehicles #aviation-records #aerospace-engineering #military-applications
Read at Ars Technica
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