Boeing has completed testing of the propulsion system of the new Phantom Eye unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
The twin-engine demonstrator will have a 150ft wingspan and be able to fly for more than four days at altitudes up to 65,000ft while carrying a payload of up to 450lb.
It will be able to maintain a persistent presence in the stratosphere over a specific area, while performing intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance and communication missions, according to Boeing.
The vehicle is Boeing’s first unmanned, liquid-hydrogen powered, high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) demonstrator aircraft.
Boeing Advanced Military Aircraft vice-president Dave Koopersmith said the UAV would meet the future needs of both military and commercial customers.
The UAV’s propulsion system, including the engine, turbo chargers and engine control system, has undergone an 80-hour test in an altitude chamber.
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By GlobalDataBoeing expects the new engine to be up and running early next year. The company is also expected to produce a larger HALE capable of flying for ten days and carrying 2,000lb payloads.
Following the test, the aircraft and its propulsion system will be assembled. It will be ready for its first flight in December 2010.
