IT DOESN鈥橳 look like a flea, but the owners of this solar-powered aircraft hope it will mimic one next week.
Should it perform the gentle 鈥渇lea hop鈥� planned it will be the first crewed solar-powered aircraft to take off under its own power.
Runway tests planned as 快猫短视频 went to press should have taken , driven by four electric propellers and 400 kilograms of batteries, to a speed of 37 kilometres per hour, just shy of the 45 needed for it to take off. A flea hop is the next step.
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It seats only one person, but Solar Impulse has a wingspan of more than 60 metres, comparable to a long-haul jet. Yet at just 1600 kilograms it weighs about as much as a .
The upper surfaces of the aircraft鈥檚 wings and tailplane are covered in solar panels, intended to allow the craft to stay aloft for long periods by charging its batteries while airborne. 鈥淚 hope the first solar-powered flights will take place in March or April of next year,鈥� says Andr茅 Borschberg, who leads the project team and will pilot Solar Impulse once tests are complete.
鈥淚 hope the first solar-powered flights will take place in March or April of next year鈥�
By 2011 he hopes to be flying the craft long-haul, with circumnavigation of the globe the ultimate goal.
The take-off trials are dependent on favourable weather, but it is the strength of the wind, not sunshine, that is critical. To ensure the most is made of good conditions, the batteries are being charged from the mains before each test.
