UK Defence Forum

Ron5 wrote: I spent 10 minutes on google and couldn't find out where their new production facility was located. Very odd.

It does look like the page has been wiped clean (removed): https://airbusdefenceandspace.com/our-p ... uav/zephyr

When UK placed the order, the statements were like "we are only trying it out with these few"
and
"the bigger version, with better payload, will be built in the UK"

So, is it necessary to try to forge history if tentative decisions have been (?) changed

OR... may be this is the explanation: if they hit the 2019 target, the need for a bigger version will go away (and they can build more with the same tooling, if not in the same location as before)? Once there is an order placed.

"the largest mass by far is the battery,” says Tom Cleaver, R&D programme manager at OXIS. “By increasing the specific energy of the cells to 425Wh/kg, the battery can be made lighter which will allow it to fly higher and therefore cover more of the globe.

These cells are lithium sulphur (Li-S), an innovative battery chemistry that has a theoretical energy density five times greater than lithium-ion, with lighter weight and longer life-cycle characteristics. OXIS is carrying out extensive materials research, production process development and cell performance characterisation in order to improve the specific energy of the Li-S cells and hit the cycle life targets that Airbus has set. This will be done in an iterative manner in order to integrate the improvements the company will be making to each element.

Increasing energy density further is one of the greatest challenges for a programme such as Zephyr, and requires the reduction of the dead mass of the cell – such as current collectors, pouch materials or tabs – to the absolute minimum and increasing the amount of active materials and the utilisation of them.

“[Since] the project started in November 2016 research work has commenced and is progressing, with the first built integrated cell having demonstrated 380Wh/kg against the 425Wh/kg target. We are now full speed on research and development, so we plan to make improvements to the cells. We have a target end date for the project of January 2019 but we are keen to beat this.” ["]

Ron5 wrote:I spent 10 minutes on google and couldn't find out where their new production facility was located. Very odd.

It is (not the Google bit, sounds like they don't know either), and I'm basing my assumption that its in the UK on nothing more than a hunch that the people involved in its construction before will be involved in its production. Nothing more than that.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/science- ... ssion=true

Farnborough, according to the beeb

dmereifield wrote:https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/science- ... ssion=true

Farnborough, according to the beeb

Maybe they're just embarrassed to be investing in the UK given all their corporate BS about leaving the UK after Brexit

Ron5 wrote:Maybe they're just embarrassed to be investing in the UK given all their corporate BS about leaving the UK after Brexit

A whole lot more detail in this article...definitely Farnborough

100 day mission duration
The UK MoD ones are almost finished (see picture in article)
Airbus look to be building 4 for themselves
Factory can build between 10-30 Zephyrs per annum....looks like Airbus think there is a serious market for them.

https://www.defensenews.com/digital-sho ... red-drone/

And you wait for an age for a solar powered drone...then along come two....BAE looking to muscle in on Zephyr....1 year mission duration....

http://prismaticltd.co.uk/

Timmymagic wrote:100 day mission duration
The UK MoD ones are almost finished

Have to read through those links as the leap in performance from May 2017 is a big one:
"At this point, the airframe is being touted as being capable of flying up to 70,000ft for up to 45 days at a time. With a wingspan of 25m, its solar array collects 40% more sunlight and the aircraft can carry 50% more batteries than earlier prototypes. "
i.e. is this improvement through size, through a break-through with the batteries (or the two combined)?

ArmChairCivvy wrote:

Timmymagic wrote:100 day mission duration
The UK MoD ones are almost finished

Have to read through those links as the leap in performance from May 2017 is a big one:
"At this point, the airframe is being touted as being capable of flying up to 70,000ft for up to 45 days at a time. With a wingspan of 25m, its solar array collects 40% more sunlight and the aircraft can carry 50% more batteries than earlier prototypes. "
i.e. is this improvement through size, through a break-through with the batteries (or the two combined)?

American batteries

British batteries?

Using American batteries right now.

Quite an achievement...you have to wonder what target they've set themselves.

Looks like they're really looking to extend the record, 21 days and counting....still chugging along at 22 knots ground speed, 60,000ft....

https://www.flightradar24.com/KELLEHER/1d50f14a

23 days and counting....still going stong

Incidentally this Zephyr S is one of the MoD ones...

Lol - spelling out Airbus on flight tracker!

Caribbean wrote:Lol - spelling out Airbus on flight tracker!

How the hell did I miss that...

There's something else they've done by the looks of it...or maybe I've just got a dirty mind...

Might just be a Flightradar glitch, but callsign Kelleher is no longer orbiting over Yuma. It did appear to be circling down lower last night, last time I looked it was down to 32,000ft in a tight pattern that had not been seen before. Looks like they've brought it back to earth. 24/25 days up...thats not a bad increase from the previous world record of 14 days....also held by Zephyr.

Caribbean wrote:Lol - spelling out Airbus on flight tracker!

Confirmation that it has landed on the 6th August. Close to 26 days up with a max altitude (also a record) of over 70,000ft.

https://www.janes.com/article/82250/zep ... nce-record

I think we can forgive them for missing 26 days up by 3 minutes...

Looks like the trials have now moved over to Australia.

And some video of the launch of the record breaking flight. 5 men to launch, in 10 yards, with what looks like zero wind as well.

At 0.33 in you can see the quality of the imagery possible at present. With the proposed Zephyr T that would be dramatically improved. Even then its not bad from 70,000 ft....

Add in Lidar, radar, radio relay and ESM and it just gets better..

Looks like one good sneeze and it would all fall apart.