Launching solar plane

The Swiss inventor has introduced a plane that runs entirely in sunlight, has a wingspan equivalent to the Boeing 747 passenger aircraft but weighs less than a small car.

Bertrand Piccard is introducing Solar Impulse.Photo: AP.

Adventurous inventor Bertrand Piccard unveiled a plane called Solar Impulse with a sleek design and quite neatly before 800 guests at a military airport near Zurich. The model of transport products that does not harm this environment has the ambition to become the first solar plane to fly around the world in the next few years.

"It was just a dream yesterday it was an airplane today. Tomorrow it will be the ambassador of renewable energy sources , " said Piccard during the launch of Solar Impulse. He had previously set a record when he and a British companion flew around the world without a balloon holiday in 1999.

Solar Impulse will carry out a series of test flights in the next two years and a complete one will go out to take off in 2012. According to Piccard, the Solar Impulse project cost 70 million Euro (98 million). USD). This ultra-clean aircraft can fly all day and night completely thanks to 12,000 solar-powered panels and a lithium battery pack, which powers four electric motors with a total capacity of 40 horsepower. According to the designer it will not have to use any additional fuel.

With 40-hp mini engines, Piccard's aircraft will operate like a scooter in the sky. Solar Impulse will take off at a speed of 35km / h like a pedestrian and when it reaches a stable height it flies an average of 70 km / h. When implementing a plan to fly around the world, unlike a continuous air balloon 10 years ago, solar planes will have to stay along the way for pilots to relax after confining themselves in a crowded cockpit. long time.

Bartrand Piccard's pilot pilot will be Andre Borschberg, an engineer and fighter pilot. He was also present at the launch and added: "You see, it's really small. The 36 hours sitting on it is a challenge and this is a test of your patience . " Solar Impulse's plan to fly around the world will be divided into 5 stages, including stops for the fleet to introduce their special aircraft. According to Borschberg, the total time of the aircraft in this conquest trip is 5 days.

Bertrand Piccard (right) and assistant Andre Borschberg during the launch of the aircraft.Photo: AP.

According to the inventors, Solar Impulse has to wait until it launches around the world to produce batteries that can be manufactured in smaller sizes. Then the pilot can enjoy the comfort of controlling the aircraft. Solar Impulse's first test flight will take place later this year and a complete night flight will be made in 2010.

One of the challenges that unsolved solar planes are bad weather. The reason is that the solar panels are completely dependent on sunlight for daylight and charge for a 400-kilogram lithium battery for night flight. Therefore the aircraft must completely avoid weather conditions with storms.

The idea of ​​making Solar Impulse solar plane was made by Bertrand Piccard and a companion in the old air balloon, Brian Jones, after they completed the record flight in 1999. At that time they were only left 40 kg of fuel in the balloon compartment compared to 3.7 tons when propane at departure. Both claim that their success may not have been achieved due to lack of fuel.

With this in mind, Bertran Piccard decided that the flight would conquer the world next time he would not use any fossil fuels. And the Swiss inventor himself said that his special aircraft would be an inspiration for manufacturers of popular items. "If an airplane can fly day and night without fuel, just use solar energy, there is no reason not to do it with cars, heaters, air conditioners. or computer, " Piccard said.

This is not the first time a manned solar powered aircraft has appeared. Earlier in 1980, a solar plane called Gossamer Penguin, which was a light but fragile aircraft, flew to test short trips with a pilot. In 1981, the more powerful model called Solar Challenger and a pilot successfully flew from France to England for 5 hours. These solar-powered flights are reminiscent of the first manned flights over 100 years ago.