Eco Factor: UAV powered by Ascent Solar Technologies’ solar modules.
Bye Aerospace has announced that the company is developing a solar-powered UAV along with Ascent Solar Technologies that will be powered by a hybrid engine. The H-UAV will be designed primarily for military use, but commercial variants of the UAV will also be developed for additional uses. The zero-emission aircraft, known as Silent Sentinel, will be powered by stored electric power which will be topped by photovoltaic panels mounted on its wings.
For primary propulsion the aircraft will be coupled with an advanced Williams International FJ33 turbofan which will be powered by on-board lithium-ion batteries. The resultant aircraft will be quiet, agile and robust. Bye Aerospace is not the first to attempt the feat, as Aurora Flight Sciences has also designed two solar-powered aircraft, including the Odysseus for DARPA’s Vulture Program and the Sunlight Eagle, which is a lightweight aircraft relying only on solar energy.
Via: CNet
