Recent Comment
Share
The Solar Impulse HB-SIA, a solar-powered aircraft under development for an emissions-free around-the-world flight, had its maiden flight on April 7. Bertrand Piccard, the adventurer who first flew a balloon non-stop around the globe, is the chairman of the Solar Impulse project. The plane was flown to an altitude of 4,000 feet during its 87 minute test flight in Switzerland.
The single-seat plane has the wingspan of a 747 covered with nearly 12,000 solar cells which provide the power for the four electric motors. Further tests, including longer duration flights to test batteries and verify the ability of the plane to fly through the night will be the next step for this project. Solar Impulse plans a flight to cross the Atlantic in 2012 in preparation for an eventual non-stop, around the globe flight.
video link: Solar Impulse
via: EERE News
Previous Solar Impulse articles on EcoGeek
Subscribe to this comment's feed
written by FluxFox, April 20, 2010
I don’t think that this shouldn't be news. It is a great advancement in how well one can efficiently use solar power. If you can build a plane that can do non-stop global flight on solar power, just think what else you can accomplish with that level of solar efficiently.
Nuclear powered planes would scare the crap out of me. Just think of the damage if a plane crashed some where.
Personally I can see short flight jumps going solar powered in some areas. Not anytime soon mind you, but I can’t write it off as a possibility.
-
- +2
-
-
written by Spence, April 20, 2010
-
- +1
-
-
written by mark carter, April 28, 2010
-
- +0
-
-
written by mark carter, April 28, 2010
-
- +0
-
-
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
A nuclear powered airplane would be newsworthy.