Blog

The history of flying is rich with inspiring stories

What with all the recorded circumnavigations around the world that prove the efficiency and convenience of the technology. And now solar power is being tested in its bid to have a place in history.

It was just recently when the electric airplane known as the Solar Impulse 2 took its initial flight from Abu Dhabi entirely via solar power. The two pilots, Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg, hope that it will be the first flight to go around the world without any fuel.

The first leg of the fight, a history in the making, is already done, with the plane flying some 215 miles above the Gulf of Oman, landing to Muscat, Oman in around 13 hours.   For the next leg, the Solar Impulse 2 will be flown to Ahmedabad, India. Slowly but surely, this solar-powered airplane is bound to complete its flight around the world.

Organizers, who are hopeful for a 100% successful flight, expect the round-the-world navigation to be done by July, with the pilots having alternate hold of the controls all throughout.

The solar plane itself possesses a wingspan much greater than that of major airplanes, including the Boeing 747-800. But incredibly, its weight is a mere 5,000 pounds.

The wing, with all its wide expanse, is filled with around 17,000 solar cells, or PV cells, which provide electricity power for 165 kilowatt-hour, lithium-ion battery cells – about two times that of the Tesla Model S.

Much of the plane’s weight belongs to the battery, with the latter having a total weight of 2,077 pounds. The top speed of Solar Impulse 2, incidentally, is 86 mph.

The solar-powered airplane will be made to fly at an altitude of 30,000 feet during daytime. At night, it will have to descend down to a lower altitude. According to the pilots, this technique will help save on energy.

They also need to put on their oxygen masks during the course of the flight. Since it is a must that the plane flies while weighing at its lightest, the cabin is not pressurized.

After 12 long years of testing and continuous changes in its design, Solar Impulse 2 came to be. Its maker claims that it has taken over a preliminary version called the Solar Impulse 1. It has also overshadowed performance in previous flights, and this includes a crossing of mainland United States in 2012.

The pilots look forward to the culmination of their around-the-world flying adventure, with plans to include stopovers in China, Myanmar, and India before flying above the Pacific Ocean on its way to Hawaii.

Solar Impulse 2 will finally fly over the U.S. before it crosses the Atlantic Ocean to reach Southern Europe. Its final leg will be done in the summer as it flies back to Abu Dhabi, the flight’s starting point.

Photo Credit : Macleans.ca on Google Images