Solar-Powered Plane Makes First Successful Flight

lilbridge writes "The Solar Impulse, a solar-powered plane covered in 12,000 solar cells, took its maiden flight today in Switzerland. The plane stayed aloft for 87 minutes, performing test maneuvers as well as completing a successful takeoff and landing. With the first test flight behind them, the developers can focus on gearing up for their around-the-world solar powered flight set for 2012."

Comments

Swell, but it's a miserable vehicle.

[Ancient_Hacker]

Wonderful, as a concept. But horrible as a vehicle.

Do the math. 60 meter wingspan times maybe 4 meter wing width gives you 240 square meters of solar cell area.
You get about 150 watts per square meter with the sun at right angles and no clouds. That's about 48 horsepower at best.
Now integrate that for a whole day and night and you have about 15 horsepower continuous.

A 15 horsepower plane is a really, really unsafe and miserable vehicle. It's just an underpowered and fragile disaster waiting to happen.
Even a light rain is going to bring it down.

I wish he pilot well and hope their parachute works.

Re:Have We Already Forgotten?

[DarkKnightRadick]

Not wasting my time trying to build something that's already been built. If they would have taken existing technology they probably could have cut down their development time.

Want to fly around the world in a solar powered plane? Fine, that's all well and good. No one else has a manned flight around the world in a solar powered plane. But, it's just not that impressive. I've spent the last seven years shooting for the stars, but I've not run and told every Tom, Dick and Bjorn about it when I reach a small step. Come back in 2012 when you've actually flown around the world in a solar powered plane. Until then, you're just tooting your own horn.