RQ-4B Global Hawk unmanned aircraft sets 33-hour flight endurance record

  • Published
  • By Rob Schafer
  • 303rd Aeronautical Systems Group
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  The Global Hawk set an endurance record for a full-scale, operational unmanned aircraft when it completed a flight of 33 hours and 6 minutes on March 22.

During the flight, the aircraft flew at altitudes exceeding 60,000 feet over Edwards AFB, Calif.

On a clear early morning March 21, with the aircraft fully laden with fuel, AF-8 took off on its 19th mission at 7:09 a.m. with a fuel load of 17,356 pounds. On its way down, the aircraft successfully accomplished other test points to validate the operation of the environmental control system. It was not until after 4 p.m. the following day that the Global Hawk landed flawlessly on centerline, with 1,259 pounds of fuel remaining.

The pilots and ground crew, as well as Edwards Air Force Base senior leadership were very impressed with the Global Hawk's performance, meeting or exceeding every flight objective. There to receive the Global Hawk on its safe return to base were Brig. Gen. David Eichhorn, Air Force Flight Test Center commander, Col. Arnold Bunch, 412 Test Wing commander and Col. Daniel Morin, 412 TW vice commander.

Designated AF-8, the first Block 20 Global Hawk, tail number 04-2015, surpassed both the official and unofficial world un-refueled endurance records for operational unmanned airplanes previously held by the Block 10 variant. The world endurance record for a UAV is 30 hours 24 minutes 1 second held by the Global Hawk RQ-4A, according to the National Aeronautic Association.

"This was a major milestone for the entire Global Hawk team and is a critical data point in supporting upcoming production decisions," said Col. Chris Coombs, acting Global Hawk program director for the 303rd Aeronautical Systems Group at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. "Even after 10 years of flight, the Global Hawk continues to amaze us.

The objective of this flight was to demonstrate the program's Key Performance Parameter of 28-Hours in a single flight up to FL600.

"This was truly a feat of outstanding engineering; no other unmanned aircraft has yet to come close to matching its combat-proven capabilities and versatility. Congratulations to the Global Hawk Team, especially to the Combined Test and Engineering Teams of the 303 Aeronautical Systems Group, 452 Flight Test Squadron and Northrop Grumman," Colonel Coombs said.

Global Hawks are currently deployed in support of the global war on terrorism (GWOT). To date, the Global Hawks are logging more than 15,700 combat hours with more than 21,000 total program flight hours and 95 percent mission effectiveness.

Global Hawks are flown in four locations across the globe: Beale Air Force Base, home of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing and the RQ-4's main operating base, near Sacramento, Calif.; Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California; Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland; and in support of GWOT.