World's *ist: QinteiQ Zephyr Drone Completes 54-Hour Flight

Although the military overtones of the test kept official record keepers from monitoring its test flight, UK defense firm QinetiQ put its unmanned, solar powered drone "Zephyr" into the air over the weekend, where it flew for 54 hours straight. (That would be a world record, if they cared enough to submit it.)

These sort of flyers will be all over the skies in the near future, taking much the same surveillance and communications duties as satellites without the prohibitive cost of orbital launches.

Solar plane en route to everlasting flight [NewScientist.com]

Bonus Link: This is a good of a time as any to mention one of the loveliest trains ever crafted, the Burlington Pioneer Zephyr, a.k.a. "The Silver Streak." [Wikipedia]