TOPIC '' on Apr 19, 2010 (CEST)
Solar Airplane flies 87 minutes successfully
A large test series has finally come to an end in which the Solar Impulse airplane has shown what it is made of. The plane has been designed to fly around the world only by using solar energy to fuel itself and it seems to be working quite well. The plane successfully completed a test flight of 87 minutes at an altitude of almost 1,200 meters thanks to the 12,000 solar cells.
The founder of the Solar Impulse program, Bertrand Piccard, couldn´t hide his satisfaction and said that he was glad to see the first flight go so well after seven years of development. “This first mission was the most risky phase of the entire project,” Piccard said. “Eighty-seven minutes of intense emotion after seven years of research, testing and perseverance. Never has an airplane as large and light ever flown before!”
The aircraft had already shown that it can fly in December where it had made it across 400 meters at an altitude of 1 meter. But the team is already planning the circumnavigation of the globe in 2012 which is why more tests are still to be done. Scherdel said the first flight was a familiarization flight for he and the team. Piccard said the tests have shown that the work is finally paying off, but now the real work is only just beginning. “We still have a long way to go until the night flights and an even longer way before flying round the world, but today, thanks to the extraordinary work of an entire team, an essential step towards achieving our vision has been taken,” Piccard said in the statement from the team.
The Solar Impulse plane, also called HB-SIA, has the wing span of a jumbo jet while only weighing as much as an average car. The wingspan is over 60 meters and the plane itself weighs over 1500 kilograms which is definitely lighter than a jumbo jet. In comparison with a jumbo jet the HB-SIA will also have problems reaching the same speed because it only has four 10-horsepower electric motors which enables the aircraft to move at 40 to 45 mph. Not much compared to the amazing speed of the Boeing 747 which has a top speed of over 567 mph.
Fact is, we´re still well away from being able to fly around in solar powered commercial airliners but the Solar Impulse project is making it worth a thought.
Jason Grace
on behalf of the
BascoTec Internet Limited
Technologie Park 13
33100 Paderborn
Germany
