Boeing tests hydrogen-powered plane component at Perryville airport

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- The Perryville Municipal Airport is playing a small part in a big project that will produce an aircraft capable of flying for days.

Crews from the Boeing Co. were at the airport over the weekend to test a component of the Phantom Eye project, the company's first unmanned, liquid-hydrogen powered aircraft designed to fly more than four days at high altitudes.

City administrator Brent Buerck said he hopes the tests are the beginning of a relationship with the company.

"The city has an airport that meets their need and we were excited to help out," Buerck said.

Sabreliner Corp., an airline company based at the airport, also helped accommodate the testing, he said.

Nick Melillo, an air vehicle team leader with Boeing, was one of a handful of Boeing engineers and employees conducting tests on a cart. The company has been developing the component for the past year, he said.

The steel wagonlike structure has a U-shaped center that will hold the aircraft during liftoff. The lightweight aircraft has a 150-foot wingspan, according to a company news release. It is designed for intelligence, surveillance and communication missions.

Melillo said the company chose Perryville for the tests because its airport has a long runway, 7,000 feet.

The group spent the weekend collecting data and taking video. They tested the wheels and braking systems of the cart.

"The folks here have been very hospitable," he said.

Melillo said the aircraft will be unveiled in St. Louis next month and is scheduled to start flying next year.

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