The aircraft, flown by Andre Borschberg, touched down today at Payerne near Lake Neuchatel in Switzerland at 9 a.m. local time, the project known as Solar Impulse said on its website.
From their website:
The adventurers of the last century were constantly pushing back the limits of the impossible. Today, human and technological enquiry must go on, aimed at improving the quality of life on our planet. In building the first solar aircraft able to fly day and night, and piloting it right round the world without fuel or pollution, Solar Impulse's ambition is for the world of exploration and innovation to contribute to the cause of renewable energies, to demonstrate the importance of the new technologies for sustainable development, and to place dream and emotion back at the heart of scientific adventure.
I am not sure how feasible the idea would be commercially. The project cost is mentioned as $95 million which comes close to the price of an Air Bus –A320( This stretched fuselage aircraft has an overall length of 44.51 metres (146 ft.) and an operating range of up to 3,000 nm./5,600 km with the maximum passenger payload)
But then this is just the beginning of a splendid revolution.
Hats off to those who dared to dream!
Source: Businessweek
Wikipedia
Airbus
It will not be fair to make a cost comparison at this stage. What is important is the effort and success of the project.After this stage, corrections, improvements and efficiency will be brought in.
ReplyDeleteBKC: Yes..you are right.. but then every successful solar project eventually gets squashed due to it's cost....hopefully this will prevail... and how wonderful it would be!
ReplyDeleteit is the idea - that can later be developed - making the point in other words - that it can be done.
ReplyDeleteThis is path-breaking stuff. 50 years from now, may be all civilian planes will be fully solar powered or hybrid.
ReplyDeleteMaddy: yes it is the idea that matters.. hopefully we shall see further progress in the coming years.
ReplyDeleteI think the idea should be praised and let's wait for the sucessful tests.
ReplyDeleteAbhi: You are right...
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