Aircraft exclusively designed to run on solar power was introduced by Dr. Bertrand Piccard near Zurich, Switzerland. After spending six long years in stealthy development of this amazing solar airplane, the prototype of new solar plane was unveiled at Swizz airfield on Friday by its future pilots and promoters Dr. Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg.
After revealing the prototype of solar powered airplane, Dr.Bertrand Piccard revealed his plans to cross the Atlantic in 2012 before attempting to circle the globe in solar plane.
Dubbed the Solar Impluse HB-SIA, the airplane is designed to fly both day and night without the need for fuel and will begin test flights by year’s end.
Despite a wingspan equal to that of a Boeing 747, the Solar Impulse weighs only around 1.7 tons, about the same as an average car. More than 12,000 solar cells mounted on the wing supply renewable solar energy to the four 10-horsepower electric motors. During the day, the solar panels charge the plane’s lithium polymer batteries, allowing it to fly at night.
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source: Cnet
