After the launch of the solar boat, solar plane is here to play its part in the advancement of renewable energy. An experimental solar plane took its first test-flight this week. After the successful test flight, it has become possible for the Solar Impulse to plan of making a trip round the world.
According to reports, the test flight was expected to fly for about 90 minutes, reaching an altitude of about 1,000 meters.
The solar-powered airplane weighs about 1,600 kilograms and has four electric motors on board that supply the power to keep the plane up whether its day or night.
It took almost six years to finally construct this plane, enabling it to reach a maximum altitude of about 27,900 feet while traveling at about 70 kilometers per hour using the power generated by its 12,000 photovoltaic panels.
The first flight was made in Payerne, Switzerland, in which the plane flew for 90 minutes. Although it is as wide as a 747, the plane is extremely light and never reaches more than 28 miles an hour while in flight.
It is expected that solar energy will play a major role, acting as a main source of electricity, heating and transport in the near future. The airline industry has been looking for various ways to help the environment, and reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. There are some airlines that are working towards using more bio fuel in the coming years. Let us hope the future is greener for the airlines as well as other industries.
Technorati Tags: Solar,Plane,energy,airplane,environment,fossil,panels
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