Team from Switzerland looks to promote renewable energy sources rather than oil. - Powered flight just took a major leap in a new direction with the flight of a solar powered plane that has a wingspan of a 747 and the thrust of a small motorboat. It took off for the blue yonder Wednesday for its first maiden flight, traveling at slow speeds and one mile high for a flight lasting an hour and a half. The plan is to become the first to circumnavigate the globe in a solar powered airplane.
During this first flight, the “Solar Impulse” finished a number of turns, maneuvers and banking exercises angling the plane at five degrees. Most significant was showing its ability to land and take off.
The group intends to make the around the world flight sometime in 2012 with an objective to show the world how renewable power can do the job of fossil fuels.
Never has a plane existed that is so lightweight, yet so enormous with the capacity to use such a tiny bit of energy – and so many questions had remained unanswered. This according to Bertrand Piccard, the Swiss adventurer who engineered the aircraft. He was also the co pilot of the initial nonstop, circle the planet balloon flight.
The flight originated from a rural Swiss military air base, rising at a top speed of 28 miles per hour and requiring just a quick acceleration down the tarmac. Slowly it rose into the air, climbing higher above the countryside, eventually vanishing over the horizon while being observed by many from nearby hills.
When it began to come down it moved even slower, the solar powered plane floating down toward the tarmac for a several minutes then landing amid celebration from observers. The weather was clear and sunny and there was barely any wind.
Previous Tests
Since last December the plane has made a number of so called “flea hops” in order to test itself, the plane rising no higher than several feet and gliding a distance of just better than three football fields. Developers look forward to the first night flight intended to happen before this July. When tests are completed, the data will be evaluated and a new airplane will be designed and built based on those findings.
The plan is to be able to fly the plane in day or night time conditions using no fuel and exhibiting to the world the significance of renewable energy in the form of solar power and how fantastic accomplishments can be made with it.
The pilot testing the new solar bird, Markus Scherdel, described the plane as not to maneuverable but it proved it could take off and land safely – while being handled like a passenger jet. He said there were no problems and everything worked as planned.
The Solar Impulse has a power unit consisting of nearly twelve thousand photovoltaic cells, rechargeable lithium batteries along with four electric motors. Both Piccard and co pilot Andre Borschberg intend to fly the plane around the globe, stopping to stretch their bodies and switch positions after extended periods in a cramped cockpit.
The total weight of the plane is approximately thirty five hundred pounds, just about what a midsized car tips the scale at. The batteries are used to store the solar energy allowing the aircraft to continue flying day or night regardless of sun exposure but the round the world trip will not be a rapid journey.
The motors each put out ten horsepower, the plane will be like flying moped in the air, it has an average airspeed of forty four miles per hour. The round trip will be divided into five parts. It will be in the air for five hour intervals. Stops along the way will give the team an opportunity to display their innovation.
Solar powered flight is not a novel undertaking – but this flight is certainly the most determined by far. Thirty years ago, the delicate Gossamer Penguin ultra light weight solar powered plane flew several short demo flights with a single pilot. Another more forceful program named the solar challenger flew one pilot across the English Channel to France in a five hour flight in 1981.
Questions needed to be answered such as will the plane be controllable – can it be landed? In addition, there were concerns it would have sufficient power to fly at all. After seven years of toiling on this project, it was two hours of deep emotion and even though the plane was on the ground, the team was still flying!
The flight was tailed by a helicopter so it could be observed in the air, while on the ground the people who worked so hard for seven years waited anxiously. Solar impulse made it to an altitude of 5500 feet. The part played by the good weather did not go unnoticed, though this time the flight was smooth and the landing soft.
The solar panels require sunlight to accumulate energy for power for daytime flight and the 880 pounds of lithium batteries power the airplane at night. It no doubt relies on sunlight to operate and Piccard agrees his team will be required to plot a flight path that keeps the plane clear of storms and constant attention must be paid to flight conditions when the main flight takes place.
There will also be a servicing team on the ground that must keep pace with the plane as it flies the best path while the ground team follows to provide pit stop like service at each interval. Piccard said that though today’s flight was an incredible benchmark – flying around the world will seem impossible until they do it.
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