” Build a plane that’s as heavy as a car, but uses only as much energy as a scooter. And stay aloft with just the energy of the sun—even after sunset. That, pilot André Borschberg says, is the challenge facing the Solar Impulse team as it stares down its biggest challenge yet: flying around the world in a solar-powered plane.
You might have heard about Solar Impulse when the sun-powered plane project made its maiden flight in 2009, or in 2010 when Borschberg set the endurance record by piloting the aircraft for 26 consecutive hours, running on stored solar energy from on-board batteries after the sun went down. Now he and teammate Bertrand Piccard are off on even more ambitious ventures, which they came to New York to discuss last night. First, in 2013, they will fly their solar-powered plane across the United States. Then, in 2015, they will pilot a larger version around the world. “
- Solar Impulse Team to Attempt First Ever Solar-Powered Cross-U.S.A Flight in History (inhabitat.com)
- Solar Powered Plane Will Circumnavigate The Globe In 2015 (Can Even Fly At Night) (cleantechnica.com)
- Tackling an around-the-world plane flight — without fossil fuel (news.cnet.com)
- Solar-Powered Plane Flies Through the Night (techonomy.com)
- Sun-Powered Plane to Circle the World in 20 Days (news.softpedia.com)