Boeing Phantom Eye unmanned spy plane stays aloft four days, sort of bums us out
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted July 13th 2010 1:21PM
posted July 13th 2010 1:21PM
Sometimes, in the seat of our despair (which almost always corresponds with a viewing of The Real Housewives of New Jersey), we reflect on the sorry state of the world and note that the one thing we don't have to doubt is that history is marching us towards a mechanized slaughter that will make World War I look like Burning Man (the rave, not the actual burning people). Sure, it never occurred to anyone to maybe figure out how to cap an undersea oil well, but at least we are making headway in our development of autonomous, long range aircraft (you know, for shooting people and eavesdropping and whatnot). Our latest example of a world gone mad comes courtesy of Boeing, and it's called Phantom Eye. The unmanned aircraft system looks something like a bowling pin with wings and can spend up to four days at 65,000 feet. Also featured on the craft is a hydrogen propulsion system that promises great fuel economy, and whose only byproduct is water. At the unveiling ceremony in St. Louis, Boeing Phantom Works president Darryl Davis noted that the "capabilities inherent" in its design "will offer game-changing opportunities for our military, civil and commercial customers." Awesome! Look for the device later this summer, when it begins a series of ground and taxi tests in preparation for its first flight early next year.
Boeing Unveils Unmanned Phantom Eye Demonstrator
ST. LOUIS, July 12, 2010 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today unveiled the hydrogen-powered Phantom Eye unmanned airborne system, a demonstrator that will stay aloft at 65,000 feet for up to four days.
"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."
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 a 'green' aircraft."
Phantom Eye is powered by two 2.3-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.
Key Phantom Eye suppliers and partners include Ford Motor Company (engines); Aurora Flight Sciences (wing); Mahle Powertrain (propulsion controls); Ball Aerospace (fuel tanks); Turbosolutions Engineering (turbochargers); the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency; and NASA.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $34 billion business with 68,000 employees worldwide.
# # #
Contact:
Chris Haddox
Boeing Phantom Works
Office: 314-234-6447
Mobile: 314-707-8891
chris.d.haddox@boeing.com
Deborah VanNierop
Boeing Phantom Works
Mobile: 210-454-2656
deborah.a.vannierop@boeing.com
ST. LOUIS, July 12, 2010 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today unveiled the hydrogen-powered Phantom Eye unmanned airborne system, a demonstrator that will stay aloft at 65,000 feet for up to four days.
"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."
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 a 'green' aircraft."
Phantom Eye is powered by two 2.3-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.
Key Phantom Eye suppliers and partners include Ford Motor Company (engines); Aurora Flight Sciences (wing); Mahle Powertrain (propulsion controls); Ball Aerospace (fuel tanks); Turbosolutions Engineering (turbochargers); the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency; and NASA.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $34 billion business with 68,000 employees worldwide.
# # #
Contact:
Chris Haddox
Boeing Phantom Works
Office: 314-234-6447
Mobile: 314-707-8891
chris.d.haddox@boeing.com
Deborah VanNierop
Boeing Phantom Works
Mobile: 210-454-2656
deborah.a.vannierop@boeing.com
On the plus side, its nice to see them developing Hydrogen vehicles. Anything that helps push the need for better Hydrogen refining is a benefit.
@Worm in the Apple
Looks like a big penis.
@uckApple
With wings
@Worm in the Apple
Wow, the byproduct is just water.
"Human extermination done right, mother nature-approved"
@Worm in the Apple
I like the tone of this article. Sad but true.
@pple is poo
One thing I notice though, although this post has nothing to do with Apple, you all got Apple on your names.
This makes me hungry.
@Worm in the Apple
I thought I was reading the Daily Kos when I came across this article. Since when do people come to Engadget to get a writer's political view?
Look, we get it. You don't like bombs. You don't like guns. We should all live in a world filled with rainbows and pretty flowers. What a waste.
Getting back to the tech blog - you do understand that a good many of our current gadgets started out as items designed for use by the military. Without the military many daily use items would never have gotten off the ground. You need deep pockets for RND. You need grand vision to break molds.
The technology used in this plane could easily trickle down and impact consumers as a commercial product. If more systems can built that improve airline safety isn't that a good thing? Isn't making advancements in hydrogen propulsion better for everyone?
@thisisit
Fucking Human sympathizers!
@24kJames "I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post."
@pple is poo Dude didn't we down rank you into oblivion over some other dumb @$$ comment just yesterday? Look we fight wars because of various ideological differences from Religion to control of natural resources. And we have been doing so for several thousand years.
I say we declare a War against trolling on Engadget!
Whose with me!
@Born2Jew
@Worm in the Apple : I think Boeing engineers are getting lazy. :)
http://www.marchsports.co.uk/cart/images/uploads/vortex%20howler.jpg
Nerf ball with wings!
@Worm in the Apple
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but is not oil still our main economical source of hydrogen? Therefore, little gained in terms of green ethics?
@Sam of the Sun
I don't know what the main current source is, but you can generate hydrogen from any source of electricity. Which means, yay, largely coal. So yes, at present there is likely to be no environmental benefit.
This is a complex calculation because you need to consider the combined efficiency of fossil fuel to (power plant to electricity transmission to) hydrogen to hydrogen transport to fuel cell to electric motor, vs. fossil fuel transport to combustion/jet engine.
In terms of global warming, CO2 emissions from planes actually do more damage because they're emitted high in the sky, which is where we don't want it. So there could be a benefit in moving emissions to ground level.
Also, hydrogen has higher energy density than other fuels which might mean the plane is lighter and therefore more efficient, etc.
And in theory, the military could build huge fields full of solar panels (PV or concentrating reflectors) capable of generating the megawatts of power you'd need to produce enough hydrogen to power this thing. Then a hydrogen-powered plane would be almost completely environmentally friendly (construction costs aside).
So basically you'd have to do a complete energy audit to find out which is more efficient. Given that this is for the military, I don't imagine environmental benefits were top of their list, so it probably uses hydrogen for other reasons and isn't particularly 'green'.
In the future, well, the best way to reduce the environmental impact of plane travel is to travel less. But if we ever did try to reduce aircraft emissions by moving to electrical power, hydrogen produced from renewable electricity would be an extremely good way to do it. (Energy density in batteries is terrible compared to normal fuel, let alone hydrogen - and in planes, weight REALLY matters.)
@24kJames - I dont like the tone of this article. They sound like a hippy. face the facts, their are bad people on the world, and we need to hunt them down, so we can kill them.
I miss the old days of the SR-71. Sure it absolutely guzzled gas, but it looked a hell of a lot better than this thing.
@mattman6 "it absolutely guzzled gas"
sortof. it legitimately leaked fuel before takeoff and at low speeds, but it actually got more efficient the faster it went! and it went fucking fast, so while it ate fuel quickly, the mileage might not have been that bad.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_SR-71_Blackbird
@mattman6
Just because it lost (not used, LOST) 2/3 of its fuel on takeoff doesn't make it fuel inefficient.
Wait....
@mattman6
Good thing the military is mostly interested in completing missions the best way they can, and not so much in how "sexy" the airplane is.
Who cares how fast the airplane can go if all you have to do is loiter over an area surveilling for an extended period? The SR-71 sure as hell couldn't stay up for 4 days.
Yes, this thing looks like one of those tailed Nerf footballs, with an extra wing, but as long as it can do its job who cares.
@tikigawd
not saying this new Boeing UAV is crap but speed matters in cases such as the Blackbird when you are looking at SAMs and interceptor aircraft. Higher, Faster, Farther was the mantra the SR-71 design. Sure it didn't have the endurance but it did have range. And it flew too fast and too high to be shot down by interceptor missiles and aircraft (still holds record for fastest manned air-breathing aircraft).
@JmHal True but dont forget those were the days of Cold War. Those Russians sure as hell knew how to kill birds (U2 spy plane incident, anybody?). But I dont think the Taliban have any AAA pieces so we should be OK...
@Born2Jew
i'm well aware. I was just providing an answer to "who cares how fast the airplane can go". and this thing is NOT a spy plane, its surveillance, theres a difference. you can't park this thing over Iran or DPRK and expect them not to notice. also (nit-picky) the Soviets new how to kill birds but they didn't have the capability to shoot down a sr-71, too fast (zero lost to enemy fire)
it looks like a cross between a helicopter and an aeroplane
Two points.
This plane has "great fuel economy, and whose only byproduct is water". Wonder if that could be at all handy in other industries?!
Secondly, spying on other countries at least keeps them honest (in theory), and it means you can nip a potential flare point in the bud.
@d0mth0ma5 : But who watches the watchers?
@Loonie
Aliens
@Loonie We (citizens) are watching the watchers or are you napping on the job. With the use of the internet and all the communication and sharing tools, our job has become easier and more efficient. Our job is to keep an eye on our government to ensure that they do right in the world.
@d0mth0ma5
Friendly reminder: the hydrogen that is burnt to product energy and water *up there* is normally made by cracking hydrocarbons to give hydrogen and carbon dioxide and misc. crap. *down here*
A Nerf Vortex football with wings...how innovative!
@Funke Tobias Dr
Who do you think NERF went to for that design? Aerospace. We see the kids toys before we see the adult toys.
@Funke Tobias Dr - But as it's a spy plane, it sadly won't make the whistling noise as it flies :-(
@A25i but the vortex was just a regular football with a tail attached for stabilization. not a complicated design.
Who cares, the stealth blimp stays up for a lot longer than that!
http://www.thestealthblimp.com/
The only reason this platform is getting press, is the air force is afraid more stealth blimps will eat into their satellite budget:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojGcX2H81NQ
watch the whole thing for the juicy details....
@kraemervision
One chick with a staticy sweater, then boom! Awww the hummmmanity!
@A25i - cept for helium doesn't explode... just sayin
@Brokinarrow
It's a line from a show called Archer. Check it out, its funny. Great Voice actor line up.
@A25i - Ah ha, I see. I'll give it a look, thanks :-)
It looks like a MOAB. I'd be scared to see it coming my way.
"Also featured on the craft is a hydrogen propulsion system"
Great, if need be it can kamikaze and blow sh!t up.
Not to spoil your mood or anything, as I fully agree that building new, stranger weapons of war is far from helpful, but...two points.
a.) What does the oil disaster have to do with this? As I understood it, today they are doing testing, but have a cap in place that could actually contain 100% of the oil leak until a relief well is completed in August.
b.) I maybe should read the message, but should we differentiate between spying and fighting? Maybe this is just a branding thing, but I got the impression that this was used for surveillance and not for actually killing, per se. Granted surveillance may lead to killing, but it need not be quite as insidious as you seem to imply.
@jsphslgr
Ah. "450 lb payload" could possibly be a problem...
@jsphslgr
I wholeheartedly agree with points A and B. I disagree with your first point only in that constantly innovating in matters of defense (war) can nations deter hostile action with the threat of force alone, without actually firing a shot. That being said, the Pentagon is in serious need of some budget cuts.
@jsphslgr
War, and sex, the real driving forces behind modern innovation.
I challenge anyone to refute this.
@jsphslgr That is just about the right capacity for a couple of high speed, high res cameras, most of our bombs weigh more than that to be useful at all
@jsphslgr - 450 lb payload is probably going to be for extra surveillance equipment that can be swapped out to suit the mission. This is strictly a spy plane, we have OTHER uav's to blow stuff up once we spot it :-D
At first I thought they had resurrected the concept of a nuclear-powered airplane.
Can't you just **feel** the freedom?
Phantom Eye is powered by two 2.3-liter, four-cylinder engines (Ford)that provide 150 horsepower each.
Wow, Ford finally did find a use for all those old Pinto blocks. :P
Who are the commercial customers of a product like this?
@jonbruc
Google.