Solar powered aircraft set off on a world tour

Airplane Solar Impulse 2, powered by solar cells, took off into the air in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, and headed east towards Oman. This was reported on its website by the British broadcaster BBC. At its core, this is a completely unique flight, as it should be the first in the history of the world tour of the plane, powered by solar energy alone. The flight will last about five months and will require a lot of patience and skills from the two pilots.

Pilot single plane Solar Impulse 2 two pilots will take turns. Professional pilots from Switzerland Andre Borschberg and Bertrand Picard were chosen as pilots. They are required not only the ability to keep the steering wheel and stick to the established course, but also the skills to repair an unusual aircraft, as well as the ability to correctly speak to the press during numerous stops to rest.

“I am sure that we have a very special airplane, and he will be able to move us across the oceans,” said pilot Andre Borshberg, who was delighted with the take-off.

In 2013, the predecessor of this aircraft Solar Impulse 1 set several world records, including managed to fly across the entire North American continent. But it seemed to the engineers of this a little, and they set a goal to build the same aircraft, but of a large size. The wingspan of the Solar Impulse 2 is 72 meters (even larger than that of the Boeing 747), and its weight is only 2.3 tons. It is the low weight of the aircraft that is the key to the success of the entire mission.

The body of the aircraft is covered by 17,000 solar cells, and lithium-ion batteries are hidden inside it, thanks to which the aircraft will be able to stay airborne even at night. The weight of the battery is 633 kilograms, and the aircraft is capable of speeds up to 140 kilometers per hour.

At the same time, pilots will almost always have to go without sleep. The maximum that they can afford is to take a nap for 20 minutes. Their cabin is not very spacious, and you will have to get used to personal space of 3.8 cubic meters (this is how to get inside the phone booth).

Pilots will not remain for a second without support from the surface of the earth. The flight control center is located in Monaco, and after the plane there will always be a team of experienced engineers armed with a mobile hangar and everything necessary to carry out a quick and high-quality repair of the aircraft.

So far, experts can not agree on a single opinion: whether the Solar Impulse 2 world tour will be successful, or the whole mission will be a complete failure. But the mere fact that there are enthusiasts and brave souls who are ready to go on such a dangerous and difficult task, causes great respect for them. We wish the project participants success and we will carefully monitor how the events will unfold.

The article is based on materials https://hi-news.ru/technology/samolyot-na-solnechnyx-batareyax-otpravilsya-v-krugosvetnoe-puteshestvie.html.