JUL 01

In earlier days of aviation, flying around the world was the ultimate test of pilots and new aircraft and now in the days of alternative-fueled aviation, it seems that test remains the ultimate challenge.  Bertran Piccard, the pilot of the first nonstop, round-the-world balloon flight, hopes to achieve that goal in a solar-powered airplane called the Solar Impulse.

The Solar Impulse design was first unveiled in late 2007, but now a working prototype has been developed.  The plane will get a chance to take its first test flight at the end of the year.  The test flight will consist of flight sequences over two days and one night.  If successful, the team will start preparing for the round-the-world flight.

The Impulse is made of carbon fiber, has a wingspan of 63 meters and is covered in 12,000 solar PV cells.  The power generated by the solar cells is stored in over 400 kg of batteries, which allow for flying at night.  The plane is propelled by four ten-horsepower electric motors.  It can't reach great speeds, meaning circling the globe will take a long time, but if it accomplishes such a feat, we'll know that solar-powered air travel (as well as other types of transportation) could have a real future.

via Inhabitat

Comments (9)

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written by campbell, July 02, 2009

This is a fine STUNT.
No airplane is large enough to carry enough solar cells to enable it to DO REAL WORK; to carry many passengers or cargo.
However, an airship IS large enough. (not a blimp)
Turtle Airships is working towards this goal, of creating true, viable solar powered flight.
(I'm Darrell Campbell, CEO of Turtle Airships)

www.turtleairships.com

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Solar energy
written by detectorlam, July 02, 2009

If the solar panel carry on plane and bring the solar charge battery,Is it so heavy?

Anyway, this is a good idea for air plane energy generation.

detectorlam

http://thehomemadesolarenergy.1bedroomfurnitureking.com
http://www.thehomemadesolarenergy.com

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written by Fred, July 02, 2009

thats a good way of saving gas

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written by Kheldar, July 03, 2009

You can talk about this on http://planet520.org
The continuation of the now closed Greenpeace forum.
Join; share, learn!

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written by MAX HASSOUNA, July 07, 2009

I do agree with all of your comments,but as a ex security personel,i would vote 100% for the turtle airship,they are the future of very cheap air travel/air freight!

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Real Work?
written by Bob, July 07, 2009

There are other things to do besides carrying pax or cargo. Remote sensing and surveillance (e.g. police and military work) come to mind. Putting temporary communications relay stations (maybe even cell sites) over disaster areas. Probably other things we haven't given much thought to because we never had the capability before.

That's not to put down airships of either rigid or non-rigid design. There is a lot they can do too, but like this aircraft, they have their limitations. We need a mix of capabilities, and shouldn't cherry-pick one over the other.

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Just one problem.....
written by Mike, July 10, 2009

Airships, and I imagine this solar-powered plane, are too darn slow! Until you can make an airship that will fly at .78 mach, it'll never replace a jet-fueled airliner. Nor will a solar-powered plane i imagine, for the same reason that Mr. Campbell cites. The good thing about these kind of ideas, though, is that they spark other good ideas! I'd love to see a day when airliners are powered by a clean, cheap resource instead of Middle-East controlled fuels.

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Ex-pilot, retired, USAF
written by C Liechtenstein, July 13, 2009

This dialog on design and usability of solar powered aircraft is good reading and thought provoking. Two concerns pop to mind: Rigidity and payload. These are the two things that need to be ironed out in R & D. Working with solar collecting materials, wings and the needed flex of a wing has to fall into a workable ratio. I feel that we have outstanding engineers that, provided they can innovate outside the box a tad, can come up with the solution to this particular problem. We have learned in the past how to work with new and un-familiar materials years ago, when first working with carbon fiber instead of sheet aluminum.

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written by ghd hair straightener, September 03, 2009

Your article was very well written, I am very like it, I wish you happy every day!

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