Photos: Solar-powered UAV flies and flies

Both lightweight and long-limbed, this aptly named Zephyr has surpassed the world record for flight time by an unmanned aircraft, according to its manufacturer, British defense specialist Qinetiq. It flew for 54 hours over the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico recently--but because no representatives from the Federation Aeronautique Internationale were on hand, the flight may not qualify as an official record in its own right. The 6-year-old FAI record is just over 30 hours, Qinetiq said.

The Zephyr's wings don't flap, but they are one of the plane's two power sources: a thin layer of amorphous solar arrays from United Solar Ovonic covers the 18-meter (60-foot) wingspan. At night, the aircraft draws energy from rechargeable lithium-sulphur batteries--which in turn are recharged by sunlight during daytime hours.