http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/Jul 17th 2010 6:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/
They live on love.]]>Jul 17th 2010 6:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/UAV unmanned areal vehicle. or something like that :P]]>Jul 17th 2010 6:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/Jul 17th 2010 7:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/
The Dream: To see this one day adapted to commercial air vechiles

The Reality: Gas companies will never let it happen.]]>Jul 17th 2010 7:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/The true truth: this only works because it is unmanned, it would take ages for solar technology to become efficient enough to carry a couple of human beings, leave alone a full commercial scale number of people.
Fuel companies don't mind it, but they're not actively holding it back either.]]>Jul 17th 2010 7:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/Jul 17th 2010 7:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/Jul 17th 2010 8:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/
Are airplanes piloted by woman considered UAVs, or just liabilities?]]>Jul 17th 2010 8:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/
We live in the 21st century..

Way to degrade women, you F*****N prick.]]>Jul 17th 2010 10:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/
You know what would be amazing? A coal powered airplane. Now THAT would be an engineering feat that has yet to be achieved.

..I'm just sayin'...its true.]]>Jul 17th 2010 10:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/
Even though that was a stupid comment......

The military isn't calling them UAVs any more. Now they are RPVs...Remotely Piloted Vehicles]]>Jul 18th 2010 12:40AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/Jul 18th 2010 1:46AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/
And surely not all UAVs are RPVs. Some UAVs are autonomous and not piloted from the ground. ]]>Jul 18th 2010 1:52AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/Jul 18th 2010 4:01AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10550430]]>Jul 18th 2010 6:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/Jul 18th 2010 3:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/Jul 18th 2010 11:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/Jul 17th 2010 6:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/
It's an Unmanned beast.]]>Jul 17th 2010 6:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/More like a Kenyan of the skys]]>Jul 17th 2010 8:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/Jul 17th 2010 6:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/we do not need machines that can run for ever.
Our skynet is online..............]]>Jul 17th 2010 6:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/
Umm, he was making a CoD reference, I guess you aren't young enough to get it...]]>Jul 17th 2010 7:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/
Enemy AC130 above !!!]]>Jul 17th 2010 7:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/BAh now i remember i skipped Modern Warfare 2 because of the asshats at infinity ward and no dedicated serves been years since ive played :P]]>Jul 17th 2010 7:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/
I agree. MW2 is a complete mess of a game. I play it on occasion because there's NOTHING else out for shooters on the Xbox (well nothing good that's recent).

The only company to surpass the terribleness of CoD's servers is 2K.

Seriously, the CoD franchise has been in a tailspin since CoD 2.]]>Jul 17th 2010 7:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/Jul 17th 2010 6:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/
Counter UAV is up, they're blind.]]>Jul 17th 2010 6:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/Jul 17th 2010 7:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/So, never learned to use Google or Wikipedia, did you?]]>Jul 17th 2010 7:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/
-.-

What, is someone not allowed to just not know what something means?

Do they always have to "google" it?

Grow up, for the sake of whom ever your destined to have a relationship with, if you ever do.]]>Jul 17th 2010 10:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/Tango sukkat!!]]>Jul 17th 2010 10:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/Go Away Troll.]]>Jul 17th 2010 11:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/Sticking up for someone on the internet automatically makes you a troll these days?]]>Jul 18th 2010 1:20AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/Depends in what situation. There was hardly any sticking up to do anyway, it wasn't even half serious.
And even if it was, there's calmer and more reasonable ways of doing sticking up for someone. It's quite funny that you think that you can deduct how much growing up I have to do one short post.]]>Jul 22nd 2010 6:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/

]]>Jul 17th 2010 7:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/
Hate to burst your bubble, but no there isn't. (Damn you physics!)]]>Jul 17th 2010 7:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/Jul 17th 2010 7:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/
A jet uses compressed air/fuel mixture for thrust. Which propells the plane. How on earth a solar panel will be adapted is beyond comprehension. Please stop thinking green and pick a science book. Just because you hear solar in the news doesnt mean it's the new thing!! It has been around for a very long time. It is just not feasible and no oil companies werent suppressing it. If so explain satelites that use solar/cell batts for power? Solar is a niche power generation market. If it werent for govt (subsidies) it wouldnt have taken off.
Unless someone can devise a way to bend the laws of physics so that a panel can generate more electrons than the amount of photons that strike it, dont hold your breath.]]>Jul 17th 2010 8:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/
Commercial aircraft are flying just fine with their powerful turbine engines that can haul muchisimo weight.

Gunna be a long time before electric surpasses that, especially at the slow pace of aircraft development.]]>Jul 17th 2010 8:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/
Also, when did I mention anything oil companies were suppressing solar power? And finally, if you knew anything about the photovoltaic industry, you would know that solar energy usage doubles about every two years and is met with constant breakthroughs in technology, such as nanowire solar cells that may offer 65% efficiency:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100616122320.htm

And this new manufacturing technique that could reduce cost significantly:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100520093036.htm
]]>Jul 17th 2010 8:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/
Sure, solar won't work to power the engines, but how about all of the electronics on the plane? So many of these planes have entertainment built in now, as well as all the flight instrument, and even the stuff used in the galley.]]>Jul 17th 2010 8:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.seattlepi.com/business/174159_electric20.html

Name changed but the 787 no longer uses the engines to power its hydraulics, AC etc. It runs off of a Fuel Cell I believe. Which is '0 emission' but still probably a greater electrical demand than can be supplied from solar exposure to the wings.

It would also probably add a lot of excess weight and reduce the efficiency of the engines beyond the electricity gained. ]]>Jul 17th 2010 10:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/
So you want a plane where the solar panel powered electronics only work during the day? ]]>Jul 18th 2010 12:38AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10550430]]>Jul 18th 2010 6:49AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/
It makes sense to carry around the weight of batteries when your plane is getting its propulsion from solar power.

It does not make sense to carry around the weight of batteries when your plane is carrying a bunch of fuel and is already spinning up turbines for propulsion that can easily also provide electricity for the cabin and electronics.

And, no, technology is not at the point that you can get enough power from solar panels to power a regular weight aircraft.

This works great since its so extremely light weight. Add a couple hundred pounds to it, and the wingspan has to be so great it would be slow and suck ass in even light turbulence. ]]>Jul 18th 2010 5:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/Jul 17th 2010 7:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/Jul 17th 2010 8:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/17/zephyr-solar-uav-sets-yet-another-flight-record-7-days-and-coun/Jul 17th 2010 8:20PM