Boeing Condor

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The Boeing Condor was a high tech test bed reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle. It had a wingspan of over 200 feet, wider than that of a Boeing B-52.^[1] Powered by two 175 hp, six-cylinder opposed, twin turbo-charged liquid-cooled Continental TSOL-300-2 engines, it had a top speed of 230 mph.

Carbon fiber composite materials made up the bulk of the Condor's fuselage and wings. Although the Condor had a very low radar and heat signature, it was not a very stealthy aircraft, to the point that Boeing itself has referred to its "lack of stealth."^[2] This characteristic, coupled with its large size and slow speed, made it too vulnerable for use in military operations.^[2]

The Condor was completely robotic, with an on board computer to communicate with the computers on the ground via satellite to control all facets of the Condor's missions. The Condor's frame was made of mainly carbon fiber composite, as it gives off very low radar and heat signatures.

In 1989, the Condor set the world piston-powered aircraft altitude record of 67,028 feet and was the first aircraft to fly a fully automated flight from takeoff to landing.^[3]

During its evaluations, the Condor logged over 300 hours of mission flying over Moses Lake, Washington. It is now on a display in the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos, California.^[4] Boeing developed two vehicles as technology demonstrators. The other is disassembled at the USAF Museum's restoration center in Dayton OH.

Specifications

Three-view

General characteristics

Crew: None
Length: 66 feet (20 m) ft 0 in ( m)
Wingspan: 200 feet (61 m) ft 0 in ( m)
Empty weight: 8,000 lb (3,600 kg)
Gross weight: 20,000 lb (9,100 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × Continental TSOL-300-2, 175 hp (130 kW) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 233 mph (370 km/h)
Endurance: 80 hours
Service ceiling: 67,000 ft (20,500 m)
Rate of climb: 2,000 ft/min (10.2 m/s)

References

↑
↑ 2.0 2.1 Boeing, Condor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
↑ , Boeing
↑ The Condor, Hiller Aviation Museum

External links

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