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World's First Solar-Propelled Blimp To Cross English Channel
An anonymous reader writes "Can a blimp propelled entirely by solar power cross the English Channel? We're about to find out! Nephelios, the world's first solar blimp, was built by Projet Sol'r — a collaboration between students at engineering and technical schools in France. Now, almost a year after its debut (and a year after it was supposed to launch), the helium-filled airship is ready for action, with its inaugural flight set to take place next week. The blimp is covered in semi-flexible solar cells that can generate up to 2.4 kilowatts — enough to keep the blimp moving at 25 mph as it crosses la Manche."
Can a blimp propelled entirely by solar power cross the English Channel?
Well not in winter obviously
http://michaelsmith.id.au
Wow, and I thought people did crazy thinks to sneak over the border into the US. It's ok, guys, you can have another chance to get out of your group in four years! It's not the end of the world! Just don't try to mess with the Irish luck next time, they invented the four-leaf clover, you know.
Qxe4
"We're about to find out!"
I think that these are the words that every scientist strives for.
They don't come out too often, but when they do...
The mammoth airship measures 72 feet long and 18 feet wide and has a nylon and polyethylene aluminum frame.
Surely, with an airship so large, the earth will be plunged into darkness as it passes overhead!
I bet it can't record video at 720p like my cell phone!
It's time for target practice
Yeah, and if it does crash just think about all those folks wandering around talking in really high pitched voices.
This aint Daytona and you aint Dale Earnhardt. So stop trying to draft on Interstate 40.
This is the future - an F22 Raptor with supersonic cruising speed uses too much oil and isn't green enough. We'll be dogfighting balloons in the 5HP military version.