Solar Impulse 2, under the lead of Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, is an attempt to become the world’s first manned aircraft to successfully fly around the world day and night, powered by nothing more than the sun.
The wingspan is nearly the length of the Airbus A380, the world’s largest passenger aircraft. However, the similarities end there, as you can see below:
Wingspan:
- A380: 80m
- SI2: 71.9m
Length:
- A380: 72m
- SI2: 22.4m
Weight:
- A380: Over 250 tonnes (maximum can be 500-600 tonnes)
- SI2: 2.3 tonnes
Maximum speed:
- A380: Approx 1000 kph
- SI2: 90-140 kph depending on altitude
Range:
- A380: 10000-15000km depending on type
- SI2: Unlimited…doesn’t use a single drop of fuel.
SI2 isn’t the first solar aircraft. In fact, the first manned solar powered flight occurred in 1979, when the Mauro Solar Riser took to the skies. However, the motor was only able to be powered for 3-5 minutes, after a 1.5 hour charge to the Hughes 500 helicopter battery prior to flight.
SI2, on the other hand, has 633kg of lithium polymer batteries on board (around 1/4 of the total weight), which allows the unprecedented achievement of 24 hour flight with a pilot aboard. It’s definitely a dramatic improvement.
But rather than being an effort aimed purely at evolving aviation transport, those behind the project emphasize that this is more about a larger idea. This is about showing the world what can be done with clean technology, and helping people realize that it is possible to create a future that is sustainable, if we set our minds to it.
And so that story is unfolding over a journey of approximately 35,000km. Split into 12 stops as it makes its way around the world, it’s expected to take about 500 hours of flight.
Departing from Abu Dhabi in March 2015, the mission was scheduled to return to the same destination in August 2015. However, after breaking several records including the longest duration flight by any aircraft (117 hours, 52 minutes), the team ran into battery overheating issues which has forced a layover in Hawaii while it undergoes replacements to the batteries. The journey is expected to continue in April or May 2016.
To find out more, visit www.solarimpulse.com. We’ll be following the SI2 story closely, so stay tuned for updates!