Solar-powered aircraft

wil

Solar-powered aircraft to attempt round the world flight

Saw this on Sky News yesterday.

Craft will fly day and night only using solar electricity and batteries to keep it in the air

The Solar Impulse has a wingspan of 72 metres, equal to the largest passenger aircraft, with its huge wings carrying the 17,200 solar cells. These power electric motors during the day that drive four propellers to give it lift, but at night it is all down to the batteries to keep the aircraft aloft.

It weighs in at a hefty 2.3 tonnes but this is considered exceptionally light compared to a typical jet aircraft its size. Even at that weight it can still take off under its own power and without any fuel.

Two things brought a smile to my face - the surname of the pilot/Chairman (Trekkie?)
and the comment of the newsreader after the video segment
"Don't solar panels need sunlight?"


Does any one think this is the beginning of a new direction in flying technology or is it likely to remain in the prototype experimental domain well in to the distant future?

_Tombstone_

The Solar Impulse plane has broken the record for the longest non-stop solo flight without refuelling.

The milestone was achieved 76 hours into the latest leg of its attempt to circumnavigate the globe.

Pilot Andre Borschberg is making steady progress as he attempts the first solar-powered crossing of the Pacific.

After leaving Nagoya, Japan, early on Monday (local time), he has now passed Midway Island and is heading towards his destination of Kalaeloa, Hawaii.

At 76 hours into the journey, he broke the record for the longest ever non-stop solo flight without refuelling.
The previous mark was set by the American Steve Fossett in 2006.

His jet-powered Virgin GlobalFlyer vehicle completed a full circumnavigation of the world in that time, travelling more than 41,000km.

In contrast, Mr Borschberg's Solar Impulse plane, which carries no fuel at all, had gone "only" some 5,500km in its 76 hours of flight.

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-33362290

http://www.solarimpulse.com/leg-8-from-Nagoya-to-Hawaii

Shannon757

It's completed it's round the world circumnavigation. Top job lads.

martinsvi

wil wrote: »

Does any one think this is the beginning of a new direction in flying technology or is it likely to remain in the prototype experimental domain well in to the distant future?

I remember the time not that long ago when it was generally believed that SD memory cards will never be larger than 128(?) MB.. then a couple of smart people discovered new type of semiconductor and there you go - SD cards now can hold information in crazy gigabytes - something your PC wasn't able to do just 15 years ago.

Same thing with the solar panels - some 10 years ago solar energy was something only warm climates could consider. Things move on quite quickly - progress is being achieved on cells themselves as well as batteries. From where we are today, solar powered passenger planes are simply not feasible. Now watch this space in next 10 years and you might be seeing first hybrids flying around.. The good thing about humans is that there are some of us who will simply not listen to naysayers