An experimental solar-powered aircraft completed its first 24-hour test flight last week, utilizing nothing but the sun’s rays to keep it running. The plane landed in Switzerland 9 AM local on Thursday. With a massive solar-panel wing, stretching 208 feet, and with the help of four, ten horsepower engines, the aircraft was able to break this milestone.
Could solar-powered airplanes be in the future for airliners? In the short-term, no. In the long-run? Possibly. It will be quite awhile before a solar-powered airplane, capable of handling more weight, will enter the industry. I’m sure airlines would love an airplane that can use the sun’s energy, but not if it only carries one or two people and has the wingspan of more than half of the length of a football field. I’d be curious to see how the airplane fairs in its planned Atlantic-crossing in 2013 and the effect clouds have. Replacing the jet engine is a long ways off, but this group have proved that there are renewable energy alternatives for aviation.
Associated Press video:
