By Maddie Michael
News Reporter
The Solar Impulse 2, a plane fueled entirely by solar power, is making a historic attempt as the first solar-powered plane ever to fly around the world.
The Solar Impulse 2 is a single person plane with a 72 meter wingspan. The top of the plane is covered with solar cells that allow it fly throughout the day.. At night, the plane is fueled by rechargeable lithium batteries.
The pilot can only sleep for 20 minutes at a time as there is no full autopilot. Flashing lights and a vibrating seat wake up the pilot if necessary. Because it is impossible to stand in the cockpit, the pilots can only stretch by reclining their seats.
The plane is designed to be light and maneuverable, making it susceptible to turbulence and wind.
Newton South Chemistry teacher Alan Crosby has been tracking the plane and is optimistic about the new technologies it offers.
“This is a start,” Crosby said. “It is a step forward. To have the plane powered by electricity and to keep it in the air is great.”
The Solar Impulse 2 is currently in Nanjing, China where it will begin the most treacherous part of the journey: the five day flight from Nanjing to Hawaii.
The plane set off to circumnavigate the globe from Abu Dhabi on March 9. It will take about five months for it to return to the host city.
Crosby feels that the Solar Impulse 2’s flight is not only a feat for the plane and flight crew but also for raising environmental awareness.
“I think this is spectacular,” Crosby said. “It is like watching Neil Armstrong step onto the moon [again]…I am so impressed.”
Find out the latest news on the plane’s whereabouts here: http://www.solarimpulse.com/
[socialpoll id=”2273423″]
I can say with a high degree of certainty that a solar-powered airplane will never be more than just a toy or a gimmick. In an ideal world, they are a great idea. But in our world, they are simply not practical.
I’m not going to delve into the science behind it. I am sure that scientists have made a way for it to fly. If it works, it works. I will talk about it from a pilot’s (well, in my case, a student pilot’s) perspective.
I will never, ever step foot in a solar powered plane. Simple as that. I do not trust the sun. What if it’s a cloudy day? Batteries can only do so much. I will take my 160 horsepower Lycoming engine powered by actual 100LL avgas any day.
The article also states that the plane will be lightweight. Planes are already extremely susceptible to turbulence – even more so in general aviation aircraft compared to enormous passenger jets. On my very first flight lesson, I almost threw up. No kidding. The Piper Warrior weights roughly 1500 pounds, with the engine weighing roughly 260. You are removing one sixth of the aircraft weight. That may not seem like a lot, but it definitely is.
Mrs. Michael also states that the pilot will be able to only sleep for 20 minutes at a time, and that he/she will have to recline his/her seats to stretch. No pilot in their right mind will close their eyes for anything other than a blink while at the controls. Autopilot is meant to aid a pilot, not take over. And stretching (ie taking hands off of the controls) is more or less the same thing.
About the plane design itself – it requires a lot of batteries. The article states that the wingspan of the aircraft will be 72 meters. Think about that for a second. That is wider than a wingspan of a 747! It is just 8 meters short of the widest aircraft in the world – the Airbus A380-800. It will only fly into certified airports, with special taxiways and will require marshallers wherever it goes. As for parking – it’ll have to take up a passenger gate because there is no way it’ll fit into a GA ramp.
Coming back to the beginning: it may be a great idea on the drawing board and as a prototype, but I doubt it will be anything more than that.