May 4, 2011 01:46 am EDT

Boeing's Phantom Ray soars like a terrifying, unmanned eagle

Boeing's new Phantom Ray aircraft made a covert first flight last week, taking to the skies above California's Edwards Air Force Base. The unmanned airborne system (UAS) reached 7,500 feet, hitting a maximum speed of 178 knots and flying for a total of 17 minutes -- sure, it won't outlast the Phantom Eye anytime soon, but hey, we've all gotta start somewhere. What the 36-foot long vehicle lacks in relative endurance, it makes up stealth, designed to be undetectable on radar, and thanks to a deeply embedded engine, giving off a minimal amount of heat. Boeing will be running additional tests on the autonomous vehicle in the coming weeks, in attempt to prep it for possible future surveillance and attack missions. No word on when this might actually be hitting an airspace near you, but in the meantime, it's probably best to refrain from ticking off any deep pocketed governments.

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Boeing's Phantom Ray soars like a terrifying, unmanned eagle originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 May 2011 21:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Original Link: http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/03/boeings-phantom-ray-soars-like-a-terrifying-unmanned-eagle/

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