Aerospace firm unveils solar-powered aircraft (Update)

A solar-powered aircraft that can be flown with or without a human on board has been unveiled at a New York site that once made military fighter jets.

A pilot flew in the Luminati Aerospace prototype for 20 minutes Friday at the former Calverton defense plant on Long Island.

The facility was once used by defense contractor Northrop Grumman. Now Luminati plans to develop its unmanned aerial vehicle there.

The company plans to create a fleet of unmanned aircraft that can provide worldwide hot spots for places without internet service. It says the drones also could be used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

It hopes to start manufacturing by the end of the year.

© 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Citation: Aerospace firm unveils solar-powered aircraft (Update) (2016, June 10) retrieved 28 March 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2016-06-aerospace-firm-unveiling-solar-powered-aircraft.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Explore further

High-tech firm's plans to make drones in NY spark questions

20 shares

Feedback to editors