Boeing Tests Mammoth Hydrogen-Powered Drone

Boeing's Phantom Eye drone during a flight test. (Image credit: Boeing)

A massive unmanned spy plane being developed by Boeing completed its sixth test flight in mid-December, setting a new prototype endurance record by flying for more than five hours, company officials said.

Boeing's colossal Phantom Eye is a liquid hydrogen-powered drone designed for long-lasting intelligence and reconnaissance missions at high altitudes. While the December test flight, from Edwards Air Force Base in California, surpassed five hours, the Phantom Eye is designed to eventually be able to fly for up to four days at 65,000 feet (19,800 meters), according to Boeing officials.

The drone flew its first test flight on June 1, 2012, remaining aloft for 28 minutes and reaching an altitude of 4,080 feet (1,244 meters). But, the inaugural outing ended with a rough touchdown, causing one of the landing gears to break.

Engineers subsequently performed repairs and upgrades, and the Phantom Eye flew again on Feb. 25, 2013, remaining in the air for 66 minutes and reaching an altitude of over 8,000 feet (2,440 meters).

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Denise Chow was the assistant managing editor at Live Science before moving to NBC News as a science reporter, where she focuses on general science and climate change. Before joining the Live Science team in 2013, she spent two years as a staff writer for Space.com, writing about rocket launches and covering NASA's final three space shuttle missions. A Canadian transplant, Denise has a bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto, and a master's degree in journalism from New York University.