Posted on 06/29/2010 4:25:32 PM PDT by Willie Green
Is it a bird? Is it is a plane? No, it’s a super solar-powered blimp!
French engineering students unveiled the first ever solar-powered blimp this June at the Paris Air Show. After a summer full of test-flights, the design crew for project Sol’R hopes to launch Nephelios, a giant sun-energized balloon, across the English Channel.
The enormous blimp measures 72 feet long and 16 feet wide. The aircraft is outfitted with a light nylon and polyethylene aluminum frame and is covered in flexible solar panels. Using energy from the sun, these panels power a small motor that turns two big propellers.
According to Inhabitat, a green technology blog, these solar cells can generate up to 2.4 kilowatts of power -- enough to send the blimp flying across the channel in under an hour at 25 mph.
Sol’R was started in 2008 as a collaboration between engineering students at several French technical schools around the country.
The designers told Inhabitat that their motivation for building this unique blimp was “just to show that it’s possible.”
The mammoth aircraft was initially scheduled to launch last year, but was grounded due to technical difficulties. With the kinks finally worked out, test flights could restart as early as next week.
In the open ocean a 25 mile an hour wind is common. they could get stuck easy until dark.
Oh, the Huge Manatee!
Voice Over: There is an epic quality about the sea which has throughout history stirred the hearts and minds of Englishmen of all nations. Sir Francis Drake, Captain Webb, Nelson of Trafalgar and Scott of the Antartic - all rose to the challenge of the mighty ocean. And today another Englishman may add his name to the golden roll of history: Mr Ron Obvious of Neaps End. For today, Ron Obvious hopes to be the first man to jump the Channel·
(Ron runs up to group of cheering supporters. An interviewer addresses him.)
Interviewer: Ron, now let’s just get this quite clear - you’re intending to jump across the English Channel?
Ron: Oh yes, that is correct, yes.
Interviewer: And, er, just how far is that?
Ron: Oh, well it’s twenty-six miles from here to Calais.
Interviewer: Er, that’s to the beach at Calais?
Ron: Well, no, no, provided I get a good lift off and maybe a gust of breeze over the French coast, I shall be jumping into the centre of Calais itself.
(Brief shot of group of Frenchmen with banner.’ ‘Fin de Cross-Channel jump ‘.)
Interviewer: Ron are you using any special techniques to jump this great distance?
Ron: Oh no, no. I shall be using an ordinary two-footed jump, er, straight up in the air and across the Channel.
Interviewer: I see. Er, Ron, what is the furthest distance that you’ve jumped, er, so far?
Ron: Er, oh, eleven foot six inches at Motspur Park on July 22nd. Er, but I have done nearly twelve feet unofficially.
(Ron breaks off to make training-type movements.)
Interviewer: I see. Er, Ron, Ron, Ron, aren’t you worried Ron, aren’t you worried jumping twenty-six miles across the sea?
Ron: Oh, well no, no, no, no. It is in fact easier to jump over sea than over dry land.
Interviewer: Well how is that?
Ron: Er, well my manager explained it to me. You see if you’re five miles out over the English Channel, with nothing but sea underneath you, er, there is a very great impetus to say in the air.
Interviewer: I see. Well, er, thank you very much Ron and the very best of luck.
Ron: Thank you. Thank you.
I was thinking it looked like a tube of summer sausage.
At night, one takes the state-of-the-art wind powered blimp.
Right-O. Like Sharia is the future of civilization.
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