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The Pilots Desk
Drones / UASunmanned aerial vehicle developed by AeroVironment

AeroVironment Pathfinder

AeroVironment Pathfinder

The NASA Pathfinder and NASA Pathfinder Plus were the first two aircraft developed as part of an evolutionary series of solar- and fuel-cell-system-powered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). AeroVironment, Inc. developed the vehicles under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) program. They were built to develop the technologies that would allow long-term, high-altitude aircraft to serve as atmospheric satellites, to perform atmospheric research tasks as well as serve as communications platforms. They were developed further into the NASA Centurion and NASA Helios aircraft.

Summary from Wikipedia, photo via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA.

Manufacturer
AeroVironment
Category
Drones / UAS
Country of origin
United States
First flight
1983-06-01

Specifications

Cruise speed
17 kt
Max speed
18 kt
Service ceiling
71,530 ft
Max takeoff weight
700 lb
Powerplant
electric
Engines
6
Length
12 ft
Wingspan
121 ft
Number built
1

Specifications are approximate and may vary by variant. Compiled from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

Reference and training only. Specifications vary by variant — consult the manufacturer and the official documents.