From–Randy Jackson and Chris Haddox
Phantom Eye, at a ceremony in St. Louis
Bruce Becker/Boeing
Boeing unveils its first hydrogen-powered unmanned airborne system, called Phantom Eye, at a ceremony in St. Louis. Phantom Eye is a demonstrator that has 150-foot wingspan, will cruise at approximately 150 knots and can carry up to a 450-pound payload while staying aloft at 65,000 feet for up to four days.
Boeing unveiled its hydrogen-powered Phantom Eye unmanned airborne system during a ceremony in St. Louis on July 12. The demonstrator, which will stay aloft at 65,000 feet for up to four days, is powered by two 2-liter, four-cylinder engines that provide 150 horsepower each. It has a 150-foot wingspan, will cruise at approximately 150 knots and can carry up to a 450-pound payload.
“Phantom Eye is the first of its kind and could open up a whole new market in collecting data and communications,” Darryl Davis, president of Boeing Phantom Works, said today at the unveiling ceremony in St. Louis. “It is a perfect example of turning an idea into a reality. It defines our rapid prototyping efforts and will demonstrate the art-of-the-possible when it comes to persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The capabilities inherent in Phantom Eye’s design will offer game-changing opportunities for our military, civil and commercial customers.”
CEO Dennis Muilenburg addresses the crowd of employees gathered in St. Louis to view the Phantom Eye
Bruce Becker/Boeing
Boeing Defense, Space & Security President and CEO Dennis Muilenburg addresses the crowd of employees gathered in St. Louis to view the Phantom Eye, a hydrogen-powered unmanned airborne system.
Later this summer, Phantom Eye will be shipped to NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., to begin a series of ground and taxi tests in preparation for its first flight in early 2011. That debut flight is expected to last between four and eight hours.
“The program is moving quickly, and it’s exciting to be part of such a unique aircraft,” said Drew Mallow, Phantom Eye program manager for Boeing. “The hydrogen propulsion system will be the key to Phantom Eye’s success. It is very efficient and offers great fuel economy, and its only byproduct is water, so it’s also an environmentally responsible aircraft.”
