...budget of $128 million
...12,000 solar cells
...average speed of 44 mph
Posted on 05/14/2011 4:18:38 PM PDT by Cardhu
A solar energy plane made the world's first international flight powered by the sun on Friday to show the potential for pollution-free air travel.
The Solar Impulse took off from an airfield at Payerne in western Switzerland on Friday morning and landed at Brussels airport after a 13-hour flight.
"The objective is to demonstrate what we can do with existing technology in terms of renewable energy and energy savings," project co-founder and pilot Andre Borschberg told Reuters by telephone during the flight.
Borschberg believes such solar-harnessing technology can be used to power cars and homes. "It is symbolic to be able to go from one place to another using solar energy," he said.
The Solar Impulse project began in 2003 with a 10-year budget of 90 million euros ($128 million) and has involved engineers from Swiss lift maker Schindler and research aid from Belgian chemicals group Solvay.
The plane, which requires 12,000 solar cells, embarked on its first flight in April 2010 and completed a 26-hour flight, a record flying time for a solar powered aircraft, three months later.
With an average flying speed of 70 km/h (44 mph), Solar Impulse is not an immediate threat to commercial jets, which can easily cruise at more than 10 times the speed. A flight from Geneva from Brussels can take little more than an hour.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
13 hours... that might be slower than walking
lol I got curious...Google maps estimates 5.5 days for a nonstop walk from the middle of Switz to Brussels.
That thing barely has the lift to carry a pilot, let alone any worthwhile cargo. It looks as fragile as the balsa wood gliders I played with when I was a kid.
Cute gimmick, but someone call me when they have made something of practical use.
Her airspeed is about 44mph but not against a head wind I am sure.
“Solar Impulse HB-SIA, which has the wingspan of a large airliner but weighs no more than a saloon car, made history in July 2010 as the first manned plane to fly around the clock and through the night on the sun’s energy.
It holds the endurance and altitude records for a manned solar-powered aeroplane after staying aloft for 26 hours, 10 minutes and 19 seconds above Switzerland, flying at 9,235 metres.”
Of course, solar cells grow on trees, so the manufacturing of them is pollution-free and happens for free.
Jackasses.
I think it was Benjamin who once said, “What use is a newborn baby?”
Maybe when it could carry a bathroom for the pilot they can give me a call, I don’t fly in diapers.
If you want something to fly over an area taking photos for days on end then this would be great it has more endurace than any other powered vehicle.
endurace = endurance
A person could do a whole stand up routine on the silliness of this. But, hey, it’s their money, the fools.
128 million pissed away,
I bet there were people who said what is the use of a flimsy thing like that, that can only stay aloft for 1min:45secs. :)
The man with his lawn chair and balloons was a hell of a lot cheaper.
Nice photo
Gee, it must be fun to fly at night on one of these ?
It has already done that and flew all night. It flew for a total of 26 hours, 10 minutes and 19 seconds
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