![]() The aircraft’s skeletal structure is largely hollow, similar to the bones of a bird, and created from carbon fiber three times lighter than paper in a unique honeycomb sandwich design. The plane’s structure is lighter than many gliders with a wingspan equivalent to that of a 747. ![]() The result is an aircraft with a revolutionary design, powered by 17,000 solar cells, each as thin as a human hair, which collect and transform the sun’s rays into electricity, to be distributed to batteries for storage and to four 17-horsepower engines. NOVA reveals the multi-year design and testing process required to come up with a plane light, efficient, and powerful enough to make the voyage. The first dilemma is how to build an aircraft big enough to collect maximum sunlight, but lightweight enough to run on as little energy as possible. ![]() “The Impossible Flight” follows Bertrand and André’s quest as they tackle seemingly insurmountable challenges, both technical and personal, in their mission to build and fly the solar-powered plane around the world. In order to construct the plane, which many experts considered impossible, the team had to employ a number of groundbreaking technologies including ultrathin solar cells, high-capacity batteries, and massive but light carbon-fiber wings. ![]() With the help of a diverse team of leading experts in aerospace engineering, meteorology, and flight control, these two daring adventurers create and fly an extraordinary and unique aircraft. Courtesy of Jean Revillard Portrait of André Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |