All eyes were on the recent global climate conference in Copenhagen, but in small hangar in Switzerland, engineers focused on a future-changing aircraft that could alter the face of travel. Dr. Bertrand Piccard has assembled a vehicle that he believes to be the solution to global climate change in the realm of transportation.
Deemed the Solar Impulse, the solar-powered plane uses no fossil or bio-fuels, and runs on collected rays of sun, captured by 12,000 solar cells spread across its wings. Its batteries are made of special lithium-polymer that can power the plane from sunset to sunrise. Just a tiny vehicle, the Solar Impulse has room only for the pilot – no passengers or even luggage can fit into the cabin, and its four propellers managed to take it 44 miles per hour on its maiden voyage – a low-rising, 1,000 foot journey earlier this month.
Just 72-feet long and boasting a 200-foot wingspan, the aircraft isn’t quite ready for commercial aviation, but that won’t slow Dr. Piccard’s ambitions. His ultimate goal is to create a plane that will stay in the air for five days and can make it around the world with only four intermediate stops. He is convinced that if we are able to fly around the world using no fuel, then there will be no reason for future cars to need fuel.
The entire plane, including its batteries, which make up 25 percent of the total weight, weighs 3,500 pounds. Made of very light carbon filter material, the aircraft boasts individual pieces of frame that weigh less than even three ounces, reports USA Today.
The small size and capabilities of the plane will not deter Dr. Piccard from modifying and improving the model. He cites Charles Lindbergh’s first plane as an example of the growth he expects from the Solar Impulse. Lindbergh’s plane carried only the pilot and the fuel, and took 33 hours to cross the Atlantic, but in 25 years, his model grew to hold 100 passengers and change commercial aviation forever.
For more on eco-friendly flights, read the Green Travel section of our blog.
