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Solar Impulse 2, a solar-powered airplane, takes flight as it begins its historic round-the-world journey from Al Bateen Airport, on March 09, 2015 from Abu Dhabi, UAE. Jean Revillard/Getty Images |
Who says there are no world records left to set? On Monday, two Swiss pilots flew from Abu Dhabi to Oman in a solar-powered airplane — the initial leg of an epic effort to complete the very first solar flight around the world.
The ultralight plane, the Solar Impulse 2, features 17,000 solar cells on top of its 236-foot wings, as well as four lithium-polymer batteries that store up energy during the day to power the craft at night. It builds on a previous solar plane, the Solar Impulse 1, which successfully crossed the United States.
The two pilots, Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, will take turns flying this new craft as it goes from city to city across the entire globe over the next five months. The plane's top speed is 43 miles per hour, so this will be a slow journey:
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| Solar Impulse |
On Monday, the plane successfully completed the first leg of its trip, flying from Abu Dhabi, UAE, to Muscat, Oman. That was the relatively easy part — a mere 248 miles and 10 hours. Thereal challenge will be on some of the longer legs, like the stretch from Nanjing, China, to Hawaii, a 5,000-mile journey that could mean 120 hours — or five straight days — in the air.
Much like the audacious intercontinental flights in the days before jet engines, the trip will be mentally and physically tasking. As the Guardian reports, the cockpit is the size of a small car, and the pilots will spend about 250 hours apiece crammed in there, one at a time. To rest, they plan to switch off and take 20-minute naps every two to four hours.
As for the technology: The Solar Impulse 2's wingspan is actually wider than a 747's, but the plane is much lighter — a mere 5,000 pounds (about one quarter of that is batteries). And there's a good reason for that. Solar cells don't provide nearly the same energy density as jet fuel, so the craft has to carry far less weight:
Solar-powered plane lands in Ahmedabad on second leg of World Trip!
The Solar Impulse 2 touched down at Ahmedabad airport in Gujarat about 16 hours after it took off from Muscat, Oman, for the 1,465-kilometer (910-mile) flight without a drop of fuel.
The world's first aircraft powered by solar energy was to remain in Ahmedabad for two days before flying to the holy city of Varanasi on Saturday.
The Swiss pilots, Bertrand Piccard and Andre Boschberg, are taking turns at the controls of the aircraft during their 35,000-kilometer (21,700-mile) journey.
The aircraft's wings are covered by more than 17,000 solar cells that recharge the plane's batteries. It flies ideally at around 25 knots, or 45 kph (28 mph).
Image Source: www.google.co.in
Source: Solar Impluse
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