We’ve already seen a number of pure solar-powered cars make their way around long stretches of open road successfully. Â This month, the Solar Impulse project is expected to take one step closer to doing the same for aircrafts when they unveil their much-awaited HB-SIA solar-powered plane.
An airborne vehicle presents unusual problems that their land-travelling counterparts aren’t really privy to. Â For one, solar panels and battery cells will add exponentially to the aircraft’s weight, which can mean serious engineering problems when it comes to its flight capabilities. Â The four lithium batteries it packs, for instance, already weigh a combined 880 lbs – not the kind of heft you want to be carrying on a small, experimental plane.
Power is another one of its woes. According to the team, the 200 square meters of photovoltaic cells the plane is using only manages to provide a maximum of 8hp on each of the four motors, which is about the same capacity as the Wright Brothers had in 1903 (yep, ghetto plane indeed). Â As such, it only trudges through the skies at speeds of around 43.5mph.
Already, the entire plane’s body is being constructed out of lightweight carbon fiber to offset some of the added weight. Â Since the speed makes it impossible to stay up in the air with regular-size wings, the HB-SIA sports an enormous wingspan (as you can see in the pic).
After the unveiling, the HB-SIA is expected to take its first flight before the end of the year. Â The eventual goal (which is pretty modest) will be to cruise the skies at 28,000 ft for a full 36 hours sometime in 2010. Â Aaah, solar power – so close, yet so far.
[Solar Impulse via Gizmag]