A new style of plane may have a chance to one day revolutionize the aircraft industry, as long as the horizons remain as sunny as its possible future.
The Solar Impulse, a plane that flies completely by solar power, recently completed a test flight that took it from San Francisco to New York over a timeframe of two months, according to Wired, raising questions about the viability of new forms of energy to the field of flight.
While the plane can only travel at around 30 miles per hour, only has one seat and runs solely on solar power, its founders, Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg, believe it can open a new form of thinking about clean energy and lightweight materials in the aerospace field through further product testing. Though they concede it may never catch on in its current form, they hope its innovative technology will draw attention to the rapidly growing potential of renewable energy.
With a wingspan of 208 feet, the same size of a large Boeing, and more than 12,000 solar cells covering its top half, it took the Solar Impulse nearly 106 hours to travel five legs of a trip that ended at John F. Kennedy International Airport and covered more than 3,500 miles total. The plane can fly both at day and night, according to LiveScience, as it can store excess energy not sent to the engine to onboard batteries, and can hit the skies without needing to consume any fuel.
Not without its problems
During the plane’s record-setting trip, it had to readjust its flight plans more than once to avoid severe weather, while its final leg was forced to end quicker than expected when a large tear on the left wing became noticeable mid-flight.
Despite the tear, the plane’s flying abilities were not affected during the trip, which Borschberg told the news source demonstrates its reliability and strong buildup. However, the damage did prevent the pilot from flying over New York City landmarks.
Another Solar Impulse model is currently under construction in Switzerland, with bigger and better plans laid out for its future. In 2015, Piccard and Borschberg plan to fly the newer plane around the world, in a trip that could have legs lasting as long as six days.
Continued innovation and testing of renewable formats of energy in the aerospace field may contribute to future improvements of fuel efficiency as well as increase product longevity and production costs.