Post by barry on May 25, 2013 10:56:22 GMT 1
www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-05-22/its-not-a-ufo-a-strange-solar-powered-plane-is-crossing-the-u-dot-s
The Solar Impulse is scheduled to take off on Wednesday for its next leg, from Phoenix to Dallas. The 830-mile trip would be the longest ever for a piloted solar aircraft.
The part of the UFO story that most pleases Dr. Bernard Piccard, the Swiss explorer who flew the Solar Impulse into Phoenix is that so many people noticed the lights, which are made from energy-efficient light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Together, all 16 lights consume just 150 watts, Piccard says.
Minimizing power consumption is a crucial consideration for a plane that carries no fuel and gets all its energy from sunlight. It stores solar energy in specially designed batteries during the day so it can keep its four slowly spinning propellers turning at night.
More gangly than a dragonfly, the Solar Impulse is built for lightness, rather than strength. It can’t withstand heavy turbulence, so the team has to wait for a clear weather report before taking off. After Dallas, the next planned stops are St. Louis, Washington, and New York. When a storm is brewing ahead, the plane can turn back or circle in place until the problem blows off.
Piccard is a psychiatrist and adventurer who is chairman of the Solar Impulse venture. He alternates piloting the Solar Impulse with Andre Borschberg, the project’s chief executive officer, a Swiss engineer and former fighter pilot who will helm the Phoenix-to-Dallas leg. The project’s ultimate goal is to fly the Solar Impulse around the world in 2015.
The Solar Impulse is scheduled to take off on Wednesday for its next leg, from Phoenix to Dallas. The 830-mile trip would be the longest ever for a piloted solar aircraft.
The part of the UFO story that most pleases Dr. Bernard Piccard, the Swiss explorer who flew the Solar Impulse into Phoenix is that so many people noticed the lights, which are made from energy-efficient light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Together, all 16 lights consume just 150 watts, Piccard says.
Minimizing power consumption is a crucial consideration for a plane that carries no fuel and gets all its energy from sunlight. It stores solar energy in specially designed batteries during the day so it can keep its four slowly spinning propellers turning at night.
More gangly than a dragonfly, the Solar Impulse is built for lightness, rather than strength. It can’t withstand heavy turbulence, so the team has to wait for a clear weather report before taking off. After Dallas, the next planned stops are St. Louis, Washington, and New York. When a storm is brewing ahead, the plane can turn back or circle in place until the problem blows off.
Piccard is a psychiatrist and adventurer who is chairman of the Solar Impulse venture. He alternates piloting the Solar Impulse with Andre Borschberg, the project’s chief executive officer, a Swiss engineer and former fighter pilot who will helm the Phoenix-to-Dallas leg. The project’s ultimate goal is to fly the Solar Impulse around the world in 2015.