Solar-Powered Plane to Perform Test Flight
It’s hard enough to construct viable solar-powered vehicles, let alone airplanes. Nevertheless, the first solar-powered plane trip around the world is now one step closer to reality. A 1500 kilogram solar plane dubbed “Solar Impulse” will complete its first test flight next April. The plane, which has a 61 meter wingspan, will attempt to travel around the world in May 2011. It will go into commercial production the same year.
Solar Impulse’s solar cells are placed on the upper surface of its wings, while the underside is wrapped in film.
The plane’s solar system works by using 12,000 photovoltaic cells, each containing 130 micron monocrystalline silicon. Solar Impulse can fly in the dark by using a 400 kilogram deep cycle battery bank.
It will be interesting to see how the plane’s around-the-world attempt fares, but solar power will probably be relegated to small planes no matter what the outcome.
Photo Credit: Solar Impulse
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November 18th, 2008 at 5:00 am
Nice using solar, no more pollution caused by internal combustion or gas turbine and free energy. I vote for this blog!
November 18th, 2008 at 7:25 am
really cool. i don’t know if i’d want to go up in it though
November 18th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
That is really interesting. I love to see new advances in weaning our dependency on foreign oil. Here is a link to another article on a bio-friendly plane:
http://suburbanjournals.stltoday.com/articles/2008/11/08/stcharles/news/1109stc-pokin0.txt
November 18th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
It would be surprising if solar is able to be more valuable than other alternative fuels being developed, just due to the lift/weight problems in dealing with engine size and energy use for air flight.
November 19th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Flying a solar-powered plane at night sounds like a bad joke, but I’d be listening carefully to the emergency instructions from the flight attendants that time!
It’s hard to believe with so many applications for this technology that a significant portion of the American public still doesn’t realize that a transition to green energy is possible in a relatively short time.
I guess we’ll just have to keep talking and talking until they get it. Good work Ariel.
November 20th, 2008 at 2:28 am
That is very cool. I wonder how much weight this plane can lift. I bet you they already have stuff like this for the military – solar makes absolute sense for unmanned predators.
November 20th, 2008 at 11:34 pm
Planes flying above clouds.
Lots of sun.
Perfect!
November 22nd, 2008 at 2:56 am
speeking of solar power, have any of you watched “what happened to the electric car?” it’s crazy…
hopefully, things will change soon…
October 22nd, 2009 at 3:13 am
Looking back over the history of software engineering, there is some indication that the types of questions have changed as the field matures. ,