Solar Powered Plane fly’s for 24 hours Non-Stop
July 12th 2010 06:49
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A new breed of solar powered aircraft has flown for 24 hours with plenty of “gas” left in the tank.
The experimental Solar Impulse aircraft with pilot Andre Borschberg completed a historic 26 hour flight in Switzerland. This is the first time ever that a solar airplane has flown through the night.
The aircraft is a high-tech single-seater powered by just solar panels and batteries.
The plane flow throughout the daylight hours allowing the batteries to store up enough charge to power the plane through the night. The plane has to an array of 12,000 solar cells on wings and has lightweight batteries to complete the night flight with around 3 hours of reserve power.
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The notion of perpetual flight is no longer a myth it’s now a reality.
This prototype is shaped like a giant dragonfly, with 12,000 solar cells imbedded in the wings. The aircraft wingspan is 63 metres, the same size of an Airbus A340 airliner.
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Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief
On the other hand, the first airplane was small and hesitating at Kittyhawk, so we'll see where solar powered flight will go in a few years. Technology has a way of keeping up with creativity, doesn't it?
Comment by CarlCan
Astroearth
Camera Sense
As you so aptly quoted the Wright brothers early endeavors were small to start with and now a century on we are in outer space. The sky is no longer the limit.