Pathfinder Plus is a high-altitude, solar-powered, unmanned experimental aircraft intended to explore the possibilities of unlimited-duration, high-altitude reconnaissance. During the 1990s, it conducted 10 test flights, three of which set altitude records, the highest of which was 24,445m (80,201 ft). The aircraft was built under the sponsorship of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization. It has a carbon fiber main spar and is covered with a polymer skin and silicon solar cells that power eight electric motors. The project was later managed by NASA Dryden.
Donated by Aerovironment Inc.
Dimensions:
Wingspan: 36.3 m (121 ft)
Length: 3.6 m (12 ft)
Gross weight: 315 kg (700 lb)
Speed: 24-40 kmph (15-25 mph)
