Last we heard from the UK's high altitude Zephyr glider, it was unofficially breaking the record for longest unmanned flight. That was back in 2007, when the record was a paltry 30 hours, and the Zephyr was able to manage a 54 hour flight, thanks to its solar powered batteries. On Friday, the Zephyr flew that and them some when it completed an 84-hour flight without issue. Military types are no doubt licking their lips at the news, as the plane was designed to support troops in the field with continuous surveillance and communication support from its perch on high at 60,000 ft. [Telegraph]

Read More »

The ElectraFlyer C is a carbon fiber-shelled mini plane that runs on electricity, and it also looks like a lot of fun. It's a mash-up of a commercially available glider body and a lightweight battery and motor/propeller assembly. It can fly for 90 to 120 minutes at up to 145kph, and you can recharge it in about six hours from a regular 110 volt outlet for about 60 cents. Oh, and it's received its airworthiness cert, meaning it's perfectly legal. [ElectricFlyer via Wired]

Read More »

This concept glider, dubbed Orlens, is attention-grabbing through its rather beautiful shape alone. But when you look into how it would work, you can see that designer Roland Cernat has put a lot of thought into its greenness. It would be made of entirely recycled materials, and be recyclable itself, would have photovoltaic cells atop the wings for energy for eco-friendly propulsion and have an aerodynamically-efficient body. The body too would be made from a flax-based bio-compound that would be CO2 neutral. It's pretty much what green personal air-transport of the future should look like, which is why it's just won Roland the Lucky Strike Junior Designer Competition. Impressive, and I'd love to take it up and give it a spin, were it not just a concept. [Inhabitat]

Read More »