Phantom Eye: Boeing's new unmanned hydrogen-powered spy plane



With its short, squat body and massive wingspan this is an unmanned jet with a difference - it's powered by hydrogen.

Boeing's Phantom Eye unmanned airborne system will be able to stay aloft at 65,000 feet for up to four days.

Phantom Eye is designed to carry out surveillance and reconnaissance missions while remaining at high altitude. It will produce only water as a by-product.



Boeing unveils its PhantomEye spy plane today which is designed to fly at 65,00 feet and will be powered by hydrogen alone

Boeing also is developing a larger unmanned plane that will stay aloft for more than 10 days and 'Phantom Ray,' a fighter-sized UAV that will be a test bed for more advanced technologies.



'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.'

An artist's impression of the high-altitude spy plane

Later this summer, Phantom Eye will be shipped to NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California 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.'