Solar Impulse plane postpones record night flight bid Skip to main content

Solar Impulse plane postpones record night flight bid

The HB-SIA aeroplane (Solar Impulse) The HB-SIA aeroplane will eventually give way to an even bigger vehicle
Pilot Andre Borschberg has announced he is postponing an attempt to make aviation history because of a technical problem.

He had planned to take off from a Swiss airfield in a solar-powered plane and fly through the night.
The plane would need to generate enough energy through the day to sustain its battery-driven engines at night.
One of the aeroplane's inventors, Bertrand Piccard, said the pilot would have to wait for a part from the US.
'Solar future' The HB-SIA aeroplane, which has 12,000 solar cells, is the latest step in the Solar Impulse project, which Mr Borschberg leads with his business partner and fellow adventurer, Dr Piccard.
It was to have taken off from Payerne in the west of Switzerland in an attempt to fly for 24 hours.
Robotic craft have achieved this feat before now, but never a manned one.
Andre Borschberg (L) and Bertrand Piccard (R) Borschberg (L) and Piccard have worked on the project for seven years "We had to take the decision to postpone the take off to another day," Dr Piccard said.
Dr Piccard famously made the first non-stop circumnavigation of the globe in a balloon in 1999.
The pair want to prove that solar power has a practical future in aviation and, more generally, in powering society at large.
The HB-SIA has the look of a glider but is on the scale - in terms of its width - of a modern airliner.
The aeroplane incorporates composite materials to keep it extremely light, and uses super-efficient solar cells, batteries, motors and propellers to keep itself in the sky.
The vehicle was unveiled last year and has since been undergoing daylight trials. The first full day flight was completed on 7 April.
The HB-SIA will be succeeded by HB-SIB. It is likely to be bigger, and will incorporate a pressurised capsule and better avionics.
The group plans to use this vehicle in two years' time to make the first manned transatlantic solar flight, followed in 2013 by an even more daring circumnavigation of the Earth.
Infographic (BBC) 
 
BBC
Labels:

Comments

Karthika Qpt said…
I know solar Panel is very important.solar panel can be used as a component of a larger photovoltaic system to generate and supply electricity in commercial and residential applications.It seems Google is showing more interest in investing solar related
Projects.
April 22, 2011 at 5:09 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thai penis whitening trend raises eyebrows

Image copyright LELUXHOSPITAL Image caption Authorities warn the procedure could be quite painful A supposed trend of penis whitening has captivated Thailand in recent days and left it asking if the country's beauty industry is taking things too far. Skin whitening is nothing new in many Asian countries, where darker skin is often associated with outdoor labour, therefore, being poorer. But even so, when a clip of a clinic's latest intriguing procedure was posted online, it quickly went viral. Thailand's health ministry has since issued a warning over the procedure. The BBC Thai service spoke to one patient who had undergone the treatment, who told them: "I wanted to feel more confident in my swimming briefs". The 30-year-old said his first session of several was two months ago, and he had since seen a definite change in the shade. 'What for?' The original Facebook post from the clinic offering the treatment, which uses lasers to break do...
1 comment
Read more

Ancient Rakhine City of Mrauk-U Proposed for UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Irrawaddy YANGON—Myanmar’s Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture submitted the final draft of its nomination for Mrauk-U to become a World Heritage Site to UNESCO on Monday, four months after the ministry submitted the first draft of its nomination in September 2019. If the application succeeds, Mrauk-U will be the third place in Myanmar to be inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, after the ancient cities of Bagan and Pyu. Mrauk-U is located in northern Rakhine State, around 60 km from the state capital of Sittwe. The ancient city was the seat of Arakanese kings from the 1400s until the late 1700s. At the height of their power, they controlled an area covering large parts of eastern Bengal, modern-day Rakhine State and the western part of central Myanmar. Much of the city’s remains are well-preserved and some 380 historic temples are scattered between the lush hills of northern Rakhine. Mrauk-U Heritage Trust chairwoman Daw Khin Than told The Irrawaddy on Tue...
1 comment
Read more

Sri Bhaddanta Chandramani Mahathera

The Life Story of A Distinguished And Outstanding Bhikkhu The Most Venerable Saradawpharagree Sri Bhaddanta Chandramani Mahathera The Buddhist missionary Saradaw Ashin U Chandramani was endowed with great gifts and led a famous and long life. He was a very well known, distinguished and outstanding Bhikkhu Mahathera. While living in the Kushinagar Monastery, a place close to where the Lord Buddha had passed away to Nirvana, the Government of India had offered, and he had accepted, the highest, most honourable and respected title "Guru Guru MahaGuru". He became the first ever President of all Buddhists in India.A World Buddhist Conference took place in Kathmandu during the reign of King Mahindra of Nepal. The Conference was very well attended by over one hundred thousand Buddhists from various parts of the world and it was opened by King Mahindra himself. As requested by the King, Saradawpharagree blessed all the participants with the power of Triple Gems...
Post a Comment
Read more