[no subject]

Scott

Unmanned plane takes off for Pacific crossing

A robotic plane took off before dawn Sunday in an attempt to fly from California
to Australia to become the first drone to cross the Pacific Ocean.

The US Air Force's Global Hawk took to the air at 4:48am (2148 AEST), said spokesman
John Haire. It was expected to land 22 and a half hours and 13,840km later at
a Royal Australian Air Force Base outside Adelaide, he said.

The spy plane was to fly at 19,500 metres, well above other air traffic and
the nasty weather that plagues the Pacific. Ground crews in Australia will monitor
the flight but not control it as the plane follows a preprogrammed route.

The awkward-looking plane resembles a killer whale, thanks to a bulbous nose
that hides an antenna 1.2 metres in diameter.

On takeoff, the Global Hawk's mammoth wings - longer than a Boeing 737's - droop
under 6,750 kilograms of fuel that accounts for 60 per cent of the aircraft's
weight. The plane's distinctive V-shaped tail frames the Rolls-Royce engine
that straddles its fuselage.

The plane will take part in combined military exercises in Australia over the
next six weeks.

Australia is interested in using the Global Hawk to patrol its northern coast.
Backers of the reconnaissance plane say it is perfect for the task, since it
can fly at high altitudes for extended periods of time, all while using its
high-powered cameras to image the ground and ocean below.

Northrop Grumman Corp's Ryan Aero Centre designed the plane to fly as far as
2,250km from its base, crisscross a target for 24 hours to acquire radar, infrared
and black-and-white images, and then return home.

The Air Force has named the plane the "Southern Cross II" to honour the first
aircraft to fly from the United States to Australia. The original Southern Cross,
a three-engine Fokker that departed from Oakland, California, and its crew made
the trip in several legs in 1928.