This could make Icarus jealous

U.K. defense contractor QinetiQ knew enough to not use wax in its unmanned, solar powered test plane.

By keeping away from any melting materials, and sticking with lightweight carbon fibers, the company claims to have hit a new world record of 54 hours at more than 50,000 feet above New Mexico this week.

The current record is 30 hours and 24 minutes, set by Northrop Grumman's Global Hawk in March 2001.

But QinetiQ may have flown too close to the Sun after all, as the flight of its ultra-thin "Zephyr" was not witnessed by officials from the World Air Sports Federation.

The federation keeps and certifies records, the company said.

Absolutely no melty bits >>

Maybe they were held up by security at the U.S. military's White Sands Missile Range site, where the test flight took place.

The plane, which weighs at 66 pounds and with a wingspan of 59 feet, carried a surveillance payload during the flight.

Light enough to be launched by hand by a team of three, the company said the plane uses paper-thin silicon panels from United Solar Ovonic, storing surplus energy in lithium-sulphur batteries, which power the aircraft at night.

Britain's Ministry of Defense has contributed several million pounds to the project, but the company did not disclose how much it cost.

QinetiQ said Zephyr could be used for surveillance and communications, but it has absolutely no plans for a camouflage wax and feathers version.