I wrote about this solar-powered plane last month. Here is a video of it in action:
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query solar plane. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query solar plane. Sort by date Show all posts
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Solar Impulse 2 circles the earth
Solar Impulse 2, a solar-powered aircraft landed in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, completing the first fuel-free flight around the world. It took 16 months due largely to problems along the way. The two pilots, Swiss explorers Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, flew the 500 hours required.
The propeller-driven aircraft’s four engines are powered exclusively by energy collected from more than 17,000 solar cells built the plane’s wings. Excess energy is stored in four batteries during daylight hours to keep the plane flying after dark.
The propeller-driven aircraft’s four engines are powered exclusively by energy collected from more than 17,000 solar cells built the plane’s wings. Excess energy is stored in four batteries during daylight hours to keep the plane flying after dark.
Monday, May 04, 2015
Lindbergh: 2015
Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg are flying around the world. In times when people are living in space ships, why is this flight important? They are flying an aircraft powered by the sun.
Thus far, they have made it from Abu Dhabi to Nanjing, China. They have logged over 8,000 miles and are going to try another 5,000 mile trip, from China to Hawaii. They estimate it will take 5 days, during which the sole pilot can only take 20-minute naps.
While the plane looks pretty big, it weighs only 5,071 pounds, about as much as a minivan. Much of that weight comes from the four batteries that sit behind four propellers. When the plane is in flight, those batteries are recharged by 17,248 feather-light solar cells on top of the wings. The batteries then help power the aircraft at night.
Thus far, they have made it from Abu Dhabi to Nanjing, China. They have logged over 8,000 miles and are going to try another 5,000 mile trip, from China to Hawaii. They estimate it will take 5 days, during which the sole pilot can only take 20-minute naps.
While the plane looks pretty big, it weighs only 5,071 pounds, about as much as a minivan. Much of that weight comes from the four batteries that sit behind four propellers. When the plane is in flight, those batteries are recharged by 17,248 feather-light solar cells on top of the wings. The batteries then help power the aircraft at night.
Monday, June 29, 2015
Solar Impulse
Well, it's had its first major delay. It had planned to fly from China to Hawaii on its next leg, but had to stop in Japan. The Solar Impulse is powered only by the sun. Here is its voyage around the world thus far.
The pilot sits in a cockpit that is about the same size as a telephone booth. If the plane doesn't get enough sun during the day, he will have to bail. He can take naps for only twenty minutes and not too many of them.
The pilot sits in a cockpit that is about the same size as a telephone booth. If the plane doesn't get enough sun during the day, he will have to bail. He can take naps for only twenty minutes and not too many of them.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Well, that's it for this year
Solar Impulse, the solar-powered plane, has cancelled the remainder of its flight around the world. The batteries have given out and it will take months to fix. It was a noble attempt. Let's see how well it does next year.
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