A160 Hummingbird unmanned rotorcraft can loiter for 24 hours

December 7, 2005 Boeing’s A160 Hummingbird unmanned rotorcraft made its first test flight using a six cylinder Subaru engine on November 30. The new A160 successfully flew for about 30 minutes in the vicinity of an airfield near Victorville, California, bringing the total number of A160 test flights to 32 and the total number of flight hours to 58. The Hummingbird features a unique optimum speed rotor technology that significantly improves overall performance efficiency by adjusting the RPM of the rotor system at different altitudes, gross weights and cruise speeds. It is designed to fly autonomously, for much longer periods of time (in excess of 24 hours), over greater distances (2,500+ nautical miles), at higher altitudes (up to 30,000 feet), and much more quietly than current helicopters.

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