Solar Impulse 2

[MrCarPark]

The Solar Impulse 2 flight around the world is closing in on Hawaii after 5 days non-stop from Japan, breaking many records.

It's a staggering achievement for the pilot and team as a whole, but seems to be getting little coverage, which is a shame. True pioneers.


http://www.solarimpulse.com/leg-8-from-Nagoya-to-H...

https://twitter.com/solarimpulse

http://www.flightradar24.com/SOLAR2/6b0a174

[MrCarPark]

Scuffers said:

What I am getting at is if you paid Boeing/Airbus/etc. enough, they could design a solar plane that could do this, obviously it would cost a packet, and you then have to question the 'why do it'?

in practical terms, where is this going?

even if you covered the entire wing area of an A380 (some 845m2) with 33.7% efficient (the Shockley–Queisser limit) solar wafers, you're looking at some 285Kw peak output (based on 1Kw/m2 solar radiation).

just how far do you think that's going to get you in terms of powering a plane?

Who knows where it's going? 110 years ago nobody would have thought an A380 would be everyday transport.

As for being pioneering or not, flying solo for 5 days straight across the Pacific is enough for my definition.

[MrCarPark]

Cheese Mechanic said:

Agreed, to me, its a pointless stunt. The monies spent on this could have been spent on battery technology, a quantum leap in such is needed if this battery/elctric vehicle mullarkey is ever going to be widely practical.

Why would the likes of ABB commit to this project as a stunt? Are they are in it to refine their systems and learn about a new application for their technology, or do you think it's all a doddle and they're just in it for the marketing?

[MrCarPark]

Scuffers said:

Like I keep trying to get across, what exactly is the new, cutting edge tech in this solar plane? what tech boundaries have been broken?

Why are you so fixated on the tech aspect? The boundaries that have been broken are in actually putting it all together and doing it, and the endurance achievements.