Solar-powered plane completes 24-hour flight
Solar-powered plane completes 24-hour flight
An experimental solar-powered plane completed its first 24-hour test flight successfully Thursday, proving that the aircraft can collect enough energy from the sun during the day to stay aloft all night.
The test brings the Swiss-led project one step closer to its goal of circling the globe using only energy from the sun.
Pilot Andre Borschberg eased the Solar Impulse out of the clear blue morning sky onto the runway at Payerne airfield about 30 miles (50 kilometers) southwest of the Swiss capital Bern at exactly 9 a.m. (0700 GMT; 3 a.m. EDT)..
The team says it has now demonstrated that the single-seat plane can theoretically stay in the air indefinitely, recharging its depleted batteries using 12,000 solar cells and nothing but the rays of the sun during the day.
But while the team says this proves that emissions-free air travel is possible, it doesn't see solar technology replacing conventional jet propulsion any time soon.
Instead, the project's overarching purpose is to test and promote new energy-efficient technologies.
Project co-founder Bertrand Piccard, himself a record-breaking balloonist, said many people had been skeptical that renewable energy could ever be used to take a man into the air and keep him there.
The team will now start to build a second solar plane that will be more efficient and have a larger cockpit to allow for longer flights. That plane should be ready for international flights by 2013, said Borschberg.
The round-the-world flight will eventually be made with five stops along the way.
Borschberg took off from Payerne airfield shortly before 7 a.m. Wednesday, allowing the plane to soak up the sunshine as he flew gentle loops over the Jura mountains west of the Swiss Alps.
The custom-built aircraft with its thin fuselage and the wingspan of a Boeing 777 passenger jet managed to climb to 28,000 feet (8,535 meters) and reached top speeds of over 75 mph (120 kph).
Borschberg, a 57-year-old former Swiss fighter who was wearing a parachute — just in case — dodged low-level turbulence and thermal winds, endured freezing conditions during the night and ended the test flight with a picture-perfect landing to cheers and whoops from hundreds of supporters on the ground.
Borschberg said he did yoga exercises in the cockpit to stimulate the blood circulation and used breathing exercises and a water spray to stay awake, as the plane has no autopilot.
After completing final tests on the plane after landing, Borschberg embraced Piccard before gingerly unstrapping himself from the bathtub size cockpit he had spent more than 26 hours sitting in.
Share on Facebook
- Posted on July 8, 2010
Animals
Art
Your stories
That is pretty amazing to make solar power plane that flew 24 hours the downside is that its only one seat. Other then that its pretty cool.
This is the new world, everything is becoming green and we are finding new ways to supply power with out wasting natural resources. I think this is amazing because this shows and proves that things can be done even if they don't seem realistic. The problem I see with this is will it work every time? but also yeah we did it with a small plane but will it be possible to do it for the large upscale planes and jets. Also will they be able to hit the same speeds and altitudes they do now. I would not trust this personally and I believe alot of other people would agree with me this just isn't comforting.
Science: A solar plane that is amazing to fly a solar powered plane for 24 hours strait no resting brakes. I think that is pretty crazy.
Wow!
This is very fascinating!
I love to see scientists advance in their line of work and make technology and what not better.
This is a huge milestone in aviation.
I think it's really cool that they made a solar powered plane, I also think that it's going to help our envoirnment. I think that it'll help us with how much of our planet is taking with wastes too.
Technolagy: This is about getting planes to fly on solor energy. the test worked but it will take a while to use on other planes. The plane is powered by a solor impulse with 12,000 solor cells. The team will start building a second solor plane that will be more efficient. I thing this will be a great idea because it will be better on the envirement.
I think that this is great because a 24 hour flight on a plane takes up a whole load of gas. It also means that we are making a huge change in society.
I think that this is great because a 24 hour flight on a plane takes up a whole load of gas. It also means that we are making a huge change in society.
It is good that they were able to achieve getting a solar powered plane in the air for 24 hours. The plane charges with the 12,000 solar cells collecting solar energy, making it also environmentally friendly. I do wonder how they will keep the plane up at night though. The plane also only goes at 75 mph, so the creators have a lot of work to do. They are making an improvement that will possibly be completed in 2 years. I hope that is successful. Solar energy could be the future of the world.
Wow! That's cool that he stayed in the air for 24 hours by solar. I can't believe that the plane stayed in the air even when it was dark.