Solar airplane's first flight a success

[wpsedgwick]

Source: Green Technology Daily

Solar Impulse, a prototype of an airplane designed to fly around the world using only solar power, made its first real flight this week.

As the sun shone down on the Swiss countryside an aircraft powered by 12,000 solar cells flew for 87 minutes to an altitude of nearly 4,000 feet.

The Solar Impulse is designed to fly without the need for fuel. The 12,000 solar panels on its wing collect energy from the sun to drive its four electric motors and charge the plane's lithium polymer batteries, allowing it to fly at night.



Read more: http://www.greentechnologydaily.com/new-technologies/683-solar-airplane-completes-first-flight

[glowing]

1. This is awesome.. No need to land for re-fueling.

[ensho]

2. neat!

nt

[ixion]

3. woohoo!!

very glad to hear. :applause:

[Robb]

4. Neat. But I hate to tell you what the tech is probably going to be used for first.

Hint: it weights about 1,000 pounds more than a Predator. :(

[nyc 4 Biden]

5. cool!

[earcandle]

6. NIce!

[Plucketeer]

7. Wouldn't Icarus be amazed?!!!

[mahatmakanejeeves]

8. This is no flight-by-night operation.

.