Now this is an event to keep tabs on. Two men are determined to fly the first completely solar-powered jet around the world.
The duo, pilot Bertrand Piccard (no relation to Capt. Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek fame, as far as we can tell) and co-pilot/lead engineer André Borschberg, have built the Solar Impulse 2, a solar-powered jet that requires no fuel. They've already taken it for a successful spin: a solo-piloted, 24-hour excursion over Europe, Africa and the United States. And now they want to conquer the world. They are planning a 12-leg, multi-week flight that is scheduled to take off in March.
The SI2 jet has a 236-foot wingspan, which is "longer than a Boeing 747's, but the craft weighs only about 5,000 pounds-a flyspeck compared to the jetliner's 500,000-pound bulk," according to Wired.
In addition to looking incredibly cool, the mission and inspiration behind the SI2 is fun and inspiring. We're hoping for a pit stop in Seattle to check out this amazing flying machine.
| Construction of Solar Impulse 2, the Round-The-World Solar Airplane |
Watch these videos: the first is about their mission, and the second is a collection of GoPro shots from the plane.
| Solar Impulse 2 Airplane Exclusive Shots, Only Shot with GoPro |
Ingen kommentarer:
Legg inn en kommentar
Merk: Bare medlemmer av denne bloggen kan legge inn en kommentar.