The quest to develop viable solar airplanes recently reached a milestone with a successful first flight of the all-solar-powered airplane, the Solar Impulse, on April 7th.
The Impulse HB-SIA, a lightweight prototype with the 208-foot wingspan of a Boeing 747-400 flew for 87 minutes in Switzerland.
The aircraft has nearly 12,000 silicon mono-crystalline solar cells on its wings and on its horizontal stabilizer, and those solar cells provide power to the craft's four electric engines. A test pilot put the craft through a series of maneuvers to test the plane’s controllability before safely landing on an airstrip.
“This first mission was the most risky phase of the entire project. One hour and 27 minutes of intense emotion after seven years of research, testing and perseverance,” said André Borschberg, CEO and co-founder of the project.
“Never has an airplane as large and light ever flown before! The aim was to verify the prototype’s behavior in flight and to test its reaction to various maneuvers. The success of this first flight allows us to envisage the further program with greater serenity.”
In December 2009, the Solar Impulse completed a short inaugural takeoff and landing. The Solar Impulse team plans further testing of this model, which relies on minimal instrumentation and an unpressurized cabin. The next major goal is to make a 36-hour flight, which would require the addition of lithium-polymer batteries for night flight.
Following that, a second aircraft, Solar Impulse HB-SIB, will be developed to attempt several consecutive 24-hour flight cycles. Success in those trials would enable the Solar Impulse to attempt its first trans-Atlantic crossing, currently scheduled for 2012. Meeting that benchmark would clear the Solar Impulse for an around-the-world solar journey.
Image courtesy of Inhabitat
Learn more about Solar Power on eBoom's Solar Energy Learning Page
Learn more about New Transportation on eBoom's Transportation Energy Learning
Alison Pruitt is a freelance writer/editor living near Washington DC. She has written about a variety of issues, including education, healthcare, IT, the arts, and energy/environment -- and has worked with the U.S. Department of Energy. She has a B.A. from Oberlin College and a Ph.D. in English Literature from Rutgers University.
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