Boeing said today that its hydrogen-powered Phantom Eye aircraft performed well in a medium speed taxi test over the weekend, one of the final milestones before the first flight of the aircraft.
The unique aircraft, with a 150-foot wingspan, is designed for “persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and communications.” In other words, it’s a spy plane. Boeing says it will fly at an altitude of up to 65,000 feet for up to four days, with a 450-pound payload.
Here’s a Boeing video of the taxi test March 10 at the Edwards Air Force Base in California. Next up is a higher-speed taxi test. A date for the first flight hasn’t yet been made public.