Achieved a major milestone in the ERAST program when it flew to an altitude of 50,567 ft during nearly a 12-hour mission
Pathfinder Specifications
Primary Function:Remotely piloted solar-powered airplane
Contractor:AeroVironment
Crew:None
Unit Cost:N/A
Powerplant
Six electronically communicated brushless DC “ring” motors
Dimensions
Length:12 ft (3.6 m)
Wingspan:98.4 ft (29.5 m)
Height:N/A
Weights
Empty:480 lb
Maximum Takeoff:560 lb
Performance
Speed:17-20 mph cruise
Ceiling:70,000 feet
Endurance:14 to 15 hours, daylight limited with 2 to 5 hours on backup batteries
Armament
N/A
Pathfinder Achievements
Achieved a major milestone in the ERAST program when it flew to an altitude of 50,567 ft during nearly a 12-hour mission[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’Pathfinder’]