“You know it’s 11 years of dreams, 7 years of work, in order to demonstrate that an aeroplane can fly day and night with no fuel,” revealed Piccard.
The flight started at Payerne Airbase in Switzerland, Borschberg then flew the aircraft up to around 8,500-metres using the power generated from the 11,628 solar cells covering the upper surfaces of its wings and tail section. After that he flew west toward Lake Geneva and after 14 hours he shut down the solar power generators and relied instead on a gentle descent and lithium-ion batteries to keep flying before turning toward Lake Thun and, finally, returning to Payerne.
The aircraft is, according to Borschberg, “Not all that advanced, in terms of the components, the difficulties come with the cost, and the challenge of flying this huge aircraft.” Not to mention the nerve required to fly a machine that has no traditional power source. Borschberg deadpans, “When the batteries started to charge as the sun rose, yes, it was a relief.” What he and the rest of the Solar Impulse team managed to successfully complete was the start of a much bigger journey.
The plan is to build a second version, which will be used to fly around the world. That journey will be completed in five stages, each stage taking four or five days of continuous flight, hence the need for the test flight to confirm that the aircraft is capable of operating through the night. What a feat that would be, imagine circumventing the globe without the use a drop of fuel or producing any emissions. That is exactly the reason why the Solar Impulse team and the HB-SIA aircraft were nominated for this year’s Ultimate Vehicle Award.
WHAT The HB-SIA aircraft
MAKER Solar Impulse
SPECS Top speed: 125 km/h, Cruising speed: 70 km/h, Wingspan: 63.4 metres, Service Ceiling: 8,500 metres
WHY A record-breaking aircraft, HB-SIA could well be the herald of solar powered flight and dawn of a new era in cleaner, safer and quieter air travel
www.solarimpulse.com
