Ask Slashdot: What Stands In the Way of a Truly Solar-Powered Airliner?

centre21 writes "I've been reading about solar-powered aircraft all over the Internet, as well as solar power in general. But I'm wondering: is it more than just solar cell efficiency that's preventing the creation of a solar-powered airliner? Conspiracy views aside (which may be valid), it seems to me that if I were running an airline the size of United or American, eliminating the need for jet fuel as a cost would be highly appealing. So, I'm asking: what stands in the way of creating true solar-powered airliners?"

Comments

Re:The math doesn't work

[ScentCone]

green means a sensible combination of renewable and efficient

To the people that shout "green" the loudest, it means that nobody nearby gets to burn anything, but that the heavy industry necessary to make the stuff you really want is simply performed overseas where you can't see it or smell it. The all-green people are operating on baked-in hypocrisy, or are utterly misinformed, or are completely disingenuous, or are more interested in posturing than in actually doing what they say. The holier-than-thou hybrid/electric drivers who cover their ears and say "la-la-la" when you mention toxic battery manufacturing or the huge energy that goes into making their silent pedestrian killing car are great examples.

I'm reminded of the countries that are piously shutting down their nuclear energy facilities, but are then forced to import electricity from other countries using nukes, or go back to burning huge amounts of hydrocarbons.