Robot Spy Plane Crosses the Pacific Ocean From U.S.An unmanned spy plane landed 14 minutes ahead of schedule Monday after an historic non-stop 23-hour flight from the United States.The Global Hawk reconnaissance jet was the first such aircraft to cross the Pacific Ocean. Australian Defence Force spokesman Darryl Johnston said the 13,840-kilometre (8,580-mile) flight had gone according to plan. Although it was unmanned, the pre-programmed plane was not pilotless, he said. "The plane was monitored from mission control here at Edinburgh Air Force Base and from California's Edwards Air Force Base," he said. The plane, powered by Rolls Royce engines, flew at 19,500 metres (64,350 feet), well above other air traffic and any bad weather. Backers of the 350 million US dollar plane say it will be perfect to monitor Australia's northern coastline. It can fly at high altitudes for extended periods of time, while using high-powered cameras and eavesdropping devices to gather detailed information about the ground and ocean below. The Global Hawk's wings are longer than a Boeing 737's and droop under the seven tonnes of fuel that accounts for 60 percent of the aircraft's weight. A bulbous nose that houses antenna 1.2 metre (3.96 feet) in diameter gives it an awkward look. In Australia, Global Hawk will fly about 12 sorties during combined military exercises. The plane was renamed Southern Cross II in honour of the first aircraft to fly from the United States to Australia. The original Southern Cross, a three-engine Fokker that departed from Oakland, California, made the trip in several legs in 1928. The Global Hawk flight was the furthest a robotic aircraft has flown between two points. |
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