Thrills with Frills of Solar Maiden Flight
The Swiss made solar-powered airplane Solar Impulse HB-SIA completed its first international flight on May 13, 2011.
The plane left Switzerland and arrived in Brussels 13 hours later making it the first aircraft to complete such a journey without the need for fuel or producing any pollution.
The plane, piloted by Swiss pilot and co-founder of Solar Impulse Andre Borsch berg took off from Payerne Airfield in Switzerland at 8:40am, it then climbed to an altitude of over 3,800metres, headed towards France, through Luxembourg and then proceeded to Brussels, finally landing at 9pm.
The inaugural flight was expected to be particularly challenging due to weather conditions and other standard commercial air traffic in the area but the plane, powered only by sunlight reached its destination without any difficulties.
Since Solar Impulse HB-SIA was first tested in 2009 it has successfully completed a series of longer and more challenging flights including its first 24-hour day-and-night-flight back in July 2010.
The plane has a wingspan of more than 200-feet fitted with over 12,000 solar panels that soak up enough sunlight to charge the lithium polymer batteries to keep it airborne throughout the night.
The next test for Solar Impulse will be using the second prototype dubbed HB-SIB. The solar-powered aircraft will need to complete a trans-Atlantic trip later in 2011 followed by an around-the-world trip scheduled for 2013.
The plane left Switzerland and arrived in Brussels 13 hours later making it the first aircraft to complete such a journey without the need for fuel or producing any pollution.
The plane, piloted by Swiss pilot and co-founder of Solar Impulse Andre Borsch berg took off from Payerne Airfield in Switzerland at 8:40am, it then climbed to an altitude of over 3,800metres, headed towards France, through Luxembourg and then proceeded to Brussels, finally landing at 9pm.
The inaugural flight was expected to be particularly challenging due to weather conditions and other standard commercial air traffic in the area but the plane, powered only by sunlight reached its destination without any difficulties.
Since Solar Impulse HB-SIA was first tested in 2009 it has successfully completed a series of longer and more challenging flights including its first 24-hour day-and-night-flight back in July 2010.
The plane has a wingspan of more than 200-feet fitted with over 12,000 solar panels that soak up enough sunlight to charge the lithium polymer batteries to keep it airborne throughout the night.
The next test for Solar Impulse will be using the second prototype dubbed HB-SIB. The solar-powered aircraft will need to complete a trans-Atlantic trip later in 2011 followed by an around-the-world trip scheduled for 2013.
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