World's First Solar-Propelled Blimp To Cross English Channel

Posted by timothy on Thursday June 24, 2010 @06:11PM from the all-I've-got's-this-sunny-afternoon dept.

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."

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Re:Desperation from France by Hurricane78 · 2010-06-24 20:48 · Score: 1, Offtopic

They do even crazier things to get out of the US. Like going trough the TSA.
And since when is the UK the US?

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Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
Re:English weather by strack · 2010-06-24 21:14 · Score: 0, Offtopic

best. sig. EVER.