British jet breaks record for longest flight – with enough time for EVERY episode of Top Gear, Love Island & Strictly
A BRITISH-made stealth jet has broken the world record for the longest continuous flight, spending 67 days in the sky.
That's the equivalent of 1,608 hours - enough time to watch every episode of Top Gear, Love Island and Strictly Come Dancing that has ever aired in the UK.
4
4
In fact, it's more than enough time, with Top Gear boasting 518 hours' worth of content across 33 seasons, Love Island's 390 hours and Strictly with a whopping 635 hours.
A total of 1,543 hours.
The unmanned plane, known as Aalto Zephyr, flew for more than two months from Kenya to Australia before being plunged into the Indian Ocean.
The flight beat a record held by two American pilots for over 50 years.
In 1959, Robert Timm and John Cook flew a Cessna Skyhawk continuously for 64 days and 22 hours in Nevada.
That record has now been bested by a British jet, built by Airbus at its facilities in Farnborough, Hampshire.
British defence company QinetiQ originally developed the project, before selling it off to Airbus in 2013.
The Zephyr is a drone -like aircraft with a wingspan of 85ft, and weighs just 75kg.
It has been hailed for its abilities for near 'endless flight', with it using solar power to charge its propellers during the day.
At night, the craft glides and loses altitude slightly as the batteries drain, until the morning sun recharges them.
The Zephyr can operate as a spy plane, carrying powerful cameras and sensors for Earth surveillance.
But it can also provide 4G and 5G communications, acting like a mobile mast in the sky.
It is designed to fly above 60,000ft, making it well suited for delivering communications to remote areas.
The aircraft's longest previous mission was a 64-day flight in 2022.
"With this new world-record flight, we have pushed the boundaries again for the burgeoning HAPS industry and aviation globally with a solar-powered, stratospheric aircraft," Aalto CEO Hughes Boulnois said in a statement.
4
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
38 minutes ago
- Daily Record
British child, 4, in holiday nightmare after being sucked into hotel pool vent
The youngster was stuck up to his elbow in a pool cleaning hole at a resort in the north of Majorca and needed firefighters to free him A four year old British boy was left frantically trying to free himself after his arm was sucked into the cleaning system of a hotel swimming pool in Majorca, Spain. Onlookers were reportedly horrified as the young holidaymaker suddenly became trapped after inserting his arm into the pool's suction hole, which was not covered. The vacuum effect from the hole ensnared him up to his elbow, prompting staff at the Hotel Zafiro in Can Picafort, a resort in the north of the island, to call emergency services. Paramedics were first on the scene but were unable to liberate the boy, leading firefighters to drain the pool and then use a pneumatic drill to access a pipe leading to the hole. The boy was given a helmet and ear protectors as they drilled down, but around 30 minutes later, they eventually cut it off at the source and freed the boy. Images from the scene show the boy in an orange cap waiting patiently as emergency workers strive to extricate him. Police and members of the Spanish Guardia Civil were also present, reports the Mirror. The boy was taken to a local clinic but fortunately did not sustain any serious injuries. Police later interrogated the hotel's lifeguards, and one confessed that he had already reported issues with the suction system to the resort's management team. A makeshift solution to the problem involved reinserting a screw to cover the hole, but this often became loose. Local reports indicate that an investigation into possible negligence by hotel management is currently in progress.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Love Island star Sophie Lee's reality star ex-boyfriend 'gutted and blindsided' she's going on the show amid their 'unfinished business'
Love Island star Sophie Lee's reality star ex-boyfriend Ouzy See is 'gutted' the model is going on the show, sources claim. Ouzy appeared on Love Island in 2023 and struck up a romance with Kady McDermott - before they went their separate ways. The footballer, 30, is said to have been 'blindsided' by Sophie's, 29, signing to the show because of their 'unfinished business'. A friend reportedly told The Sun: 'Ouzy was really shocked and blindsided to see Sophie had signed up for Love Island. 'He was gutted because he feels like there is still unfinished business between the two of them. While they aren't dating anymore, he thinks she's an amazing girl and they ended on good terms. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'It's weird for anyone though knowing your ex is about to go on Love Island and could fall for someone else on TV.' MailOnline has contacted Ouzy for comment. The former couple made a join appearance at the Beauty Awards in 2023, where the spoke about their budding romance. He told the publication on the red carpet: 'It's going really well. She's inspirational. We've been dating for a few months.' Sophie chimed: 'He's really kind, that's my favourite thing about him.' The stunning British influencer almost lost her life in a horrifying fire-breathing accident. Sophie will fly to the picturesque Spanish island for Love Island's twelfth series following a brush with death when she was 22. Sophie had been working as a firebreather for 18-months before she suffered horrific burns to her face and chest during a freak accident in the United States. She was performing at a huge event in Chicago when the venue's air conditioning blew flames she was expelling from her mouth back into her face, leaving her with serious, life-threatening burns. Sophie has since turned to modelling and influencing and has even written a book about her experience. She also works with Katie Piper 's foundation, which supports people living with burns and scars. The new series will kick off on Monday 9th June, one week later than previous years. The last season of the ITV dating programme - which was the second All Stars version - ended in February, and saw Gabby Allen and Casey O'Gorman crowned champions, before their split earlier this month. Fans will be happy to know that it's not long before they will get their Love Island fix. A post shared on ITV's social media featured a snap unveiling the return date, along with the caption: 'Mark your calendar, you're invited to this year's hottest meeting... 'Agenda: Initial coupling, strategic navigation of red flags, and identification of potential long-term partnerships.' The first trailer for the new series was released on Monday, and showed host Maya Jama in a meeting with Love Island bosses, in the hope of making the show's 10th Anniversary series its most explosive yet. Maya - who starting hosting the show in 2023 - is seen in a boardroom called Love Island HQ and says: 'Right, this year Love Island needs something bigger, something bolder. I want ideas.' One person asks: 'Move it to the Isle of Wight?' Another asks: 'What if we turn it into musical?' leading Maya to sassily question the move with 'Why?' Another says in Japanese: 'Love Island, on ice?' to which Maya replies: 'Never!' Unhappy with all the suggestions, Maya pushes the paper off her desk and shouts: 'No!' She adds: 'This year I want more drama, more bombshells, more break-ups, more make-ups. I want more twists. I want more twists than ever.'
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Sir Terry Wogan's wife Lady Helen leaves huge sum in her will after sad death
Sir Terry Wogan's wife Lady Helen has left a huge sum in her estate, which will be shared between her three children and five grandchildren Sir Terry Wogan's wife Lady Helen left millions of pounds in her estate. Terry was a British icon and his loyal wife of 51 years stood by his side throughout his entire life. Terry died in 2016 at the age of 77 whilst Lady Helen passed away last year, leaving a huge sum in her will. She died last year at the age of 88, leaving behind three children, who will now inherit her fortune. In a statement at the time of her death, their son wrote at the time: "Lady Helen Wogan - 1936-2024. Our beautiful Mum left us last night after a fantastic life. From a young Irish rose to Lady Wogan , she was the epitome of style and grace. "A Mother, Grandmother and Wife, with love and kindness at her core. A strength and a belief that saw her through many of life's trials. A sense of humour and a turn of phrase that would have you in fits of laughter. "A proper lady in every sense of the word. Her and Dad are hopefully sharing a vodka martini and hoping we don't make too much of fuss. We love you Mum, now and forever." Lady Helen left a huge £4,948,334 in her will, with the total being reduced by £31,000 to £4,917,989 following the removal of costs and fees, documents signed off by the High Court reveal. It has also been reported by The Sun that Lady Helen left two tax free gifts to two of her children - £850,000 to her son Alan Wogan, who is an executor, and also £750,000 to their daughter Katherine. Each of Terry and Helen's grandchildren have also been given a £100,000 trust, which they can access when they turn 25. The rest of their possessions and money will be split between their three living children - Mark, Alan and Katherine. Sir Terry Wogan died of cancer back in January 2016. A family statement, issued by the BBC, said at the time: "Sir Terry Wogan died today after a short but brave battle with cancer. He passed away surrounded by his family. While we understand he will be missed by many, the family ask that their privacy is respected at this time." Terry passed away just a few months after his final show on Radio 2, where he announced he had prostate cancer. He pulled out of Children In Need later that month due to health reasons.
