Innovation of the Week: Solar-powered Airplanes


Posted by: meikah | 9 November 2007 | 1:59 am

sixsig innovation of the weekHaving solar-powered planes flying over us is a big step toward cleaning up our Mother Earth. The sooner we get to fly these planes, the better.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Corporate Communications website reports:

The prototype of a solar energy-powered plane has been designed and should make its first piloted flight late next year, the Swiss project leaders say.

The reduced-size model, which has a 61m wingspan, is now being built in northern Switzerland to test the technology involved in the full-size Solar Impulse aircraft.

If the first flight is successful, the 1.5-tonne plane will make a 36-hour flight through the night in 2009, piloted by round-the-world ballooning pioneer Bertrand Piccard.

Continue reading…

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 Filed under: Travel, Innovation Update, Aviation | |






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