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I was reading the UK Times newspaper (as I do every morning) and I found this story particularly exciting. An experimental solar powered plane landed on Thursday after completing its first 24 hour test flight.
The solar powered plane can stay in the air indefinitely, as it can recharge its dying batteries by using 12,000 solar cells across the body of the aircraft. It gets enough power during the day to power it throughout the night and experts believe this is the first step in the path of a possible new means of transport.
The pilot Andre Borschberg landed the plane without damage, helped by onlookers who helped to stabilise it as it landed. As it has a 207 foot wingspan it can quite easily touch the ground and cause damage. The team behind the monumental design say that in theory the aircraft can stay in the air until the pilot obviously would become fatigued.
The project co founder Bertrand Piccard said “When you took off it was another era, you land in a new era where people understand that with renewable energy you can do impossible things.”
KitGuru says: Solar technology might not be in a position to replace jet propulsion for quite some time, but it is an exciting step forward.
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I saw this on sky news this morning, very impressive indeed. Hopefully we can do away with conventionally powered jet flight in the next decade, its so polluting. destroying the planet 🙁
The people that came up with this concept REALLY need to get some serious credit. this was so much hard work over the last decade and they pulled it off. its a monumental achievement.
This is experimental.. They wont be replacing jets for at least 3 decades. It might however enable some form of fuel saving and also have, sigh, military uses. Which is why it got funding in the first place. Add a zeppelin craft tho and you might have a go-er?