The solar-powered aeroplane

[nuune]

Guardian: 8 March 2010: The solar-powered aircraft Solar Impulse (HB-SIA prototype) had its maiden flight at the military airport in Payerne, Switzerland, yesterday. The prototype, with the wingspan of a Boeing 747 and the weight of a small car, started to a two-hour test flight to examine whether the plane can keep a straight trajectory.

 

The Solar Impulse project aims to circumnavigate the world with an aircraft powered only by solar energy

 

The Solar Impulse aircraft takes off at the airport in Payerne

 

The solar-powered aircraft, with test pilot Markus Scherdel on board, takes off for its maiden flight at the military airport in Payerne, Switzerland

 

Test pilot Markus Scherdel gains altitude after he took off

 

The landing, what a sight

[Muriidi]

that is sooo cool !

 

web page

 

"test have shown , that kids between ages 6-11 , who live in solar powered houses ,show less hostile/agressive behaviour and are better in school." (family guy) :cool:

[Ducaysane]

Ilaahow ha i saarin.

[Somalicentric.]

^^ Hehe I am sure the same words were uttered by some backwoods odey about the first fuel aircraft

 

Nuune that is pretty AWESOME, except the thing looks like a grasshopper, I say back to the drawing board as for the Aesthetic sense. But then again anything environmentally constructive never looks good, ends up looking like the ugly cousin of its original

[nuune]

Solar plane lands after completing 24-hour flight

 

By ELIANE ENGELER (AP) – 1 hour ago

 

PAYERNE, Switzerland — An experimental solar-powered plane landed safely Thursday after completing its first 24-hour test flight, proving that the aircraft can collect enough energy from the sun during the day to stay aloft all night.

 

Pilot Andre Borschberg eased the Solar Impulse aircraft onto the runway at Payerne airfield about 31 miles (50 kilometers) southwest of the Swiss capital Bern at exactly 9 a.m. (0700 GMT; 3 a.m. EDT) Thursday.

 

Helpers rushed to stabilize the pioneering plane as it touched down, ensuring that its massive 207-foot (63-meter) wingspan didn't touch the ground and topple the craft.

 

The record feat completes seven years of planning and brings the Swiss-led project one step closer to its ultimate aim of circling the globe using only energy from the sun.

 

The team says it has now shown the single-seat plane can theoretically stay in the air indefinitely, recharging its depleted batteries using 12,000 solar cells and nothing but the rays of the sun during the day.

 

Borschberg took off from Payerne airfield into the clear blue sky shortly before 7 a.m. Wednesday, allowing the plane to soak up plenty of sunshine and fly in gentle loops over the Jura mountains west of the Swiss Alps.

 

The 57-year-old former Swiss fighter dodged low-level turbulence and thermal winds, endured freezing conditions during the night and ended the test flight with a picture-perfect landing to cheers and whoops from hundreds of supports on the ground.

 

After completing final tests on the plane, he embraced the project's co-founder Bertrand Piccard before gingerly unstrapping himself from the bathtub size cockpit he had spent more than 26 hours sitting in.

 

"When you took off it was another era," said Piccard, himself a record-breaking balloonist. "You land in a new era where people understand that with renewable energy you can do impossible things."

 

Although the goal is to show that emissions-free air travel is possible, the team said it doesn't see solar technology replacing conventional jet propulsion any time soon. Instead, the project is designed to test and promote new energy-efficient technologies.

 

[Jacaylbaro]

How about where there is no sun or have limited sunshine ?

[nuune]

^^ It stores the energy from the sun for later usage, you must also realize that the project is for all weather, day or night, sun or without sunshine, you want one to be shipped to Hargeisa,

 

It best suites where there is limted sunshine!

 

 

PS: Horta maxaa ku dhacey kuwii saaxiibadaa ahaa ee dhisayey Helicopterta, or the firefighter helicopter.

[-Lily-]

Quiet impressive, times like this you realize what a power house nature is.

[NGONGE]

Originally posted by Jacaylbaro:

How about where there is no sun or have limited sunshine ?

Forget this story warya. I have a business deal for you. Can you secure a contract with the SL government for providing them with street lights? I can go to P&Q and buy a thousand of these:

 

 

War hada aan ka gaarsino iyago wali farxaad ku murqaansan.

[Juxa]

^ do you want a partner? i mean you need to buy and carry them to your house before shipping?

 

waryaa JB noo xer leenka

[Faheema.]

^Who's P&Q? Do you mean B&Q

[Juxa]

he saw business opportunity, he is an accountant, he could already see himself counting the sl-shilling

 

wuu kala batbatay hade so P &Q nooga dhig

[NGONGE]

^^ You know, only this morning I was dreaming about going on a cruise ship.

[Faheema.]

^lol bal ukaadi NGONGE, these only work when there is sun, and the bit or reserved energy will probably last for another couple of hours. Markaa what about the rest of Habeenka, maxay wax ku arki?

[NGONGE]

^^ No they don't. They charge all day and work all night.

 

But Hargeisa probably needs some of these:

 

 

(sorry nuune).