Solar Impulse Flies Day and Night With No Fuel

Solar Impulse is an idea born in Switzerland fueled by diversity and multiculturalism, Solar Impulse is first and foremost a multidisciplinary team from a wide range of backgrounds and horizons joined together by this innovative adventure, writes Solar Impulse.

There are engineers, technicians, communication specialists, pilots and aviation experts all committed to achieving what was thought impossible in the name of technological innovation and a clean and renewable future.

Alternative Energy Coupled With New Technology Can Achieve What Seemed Impossible

European Solar Flights – Landing at Brussels Airport, 2011 | © Solar Impulse | Fred Merz 

Challenge

To produce an aircraft that will take off and fly autonomously both day and night, propelled only by solar energy, is a tremendous challenge that required the optimization of new kinds of technology and a drastic reduction in energy consumption.

Solar Impulse’s 70 engineers and technicians, supported by a hundred or so experts and advisers, have had to apply highly innovative aeronautical solutions.

While not the first solar aircraft project, Solar Impulse is certainly the most ambitious. With its successful flight through night and day, the HB-SIA prototype became the first aircraft to come close to perpetual flight.

Crossing frontiers – Flight to Morocco – Landing in Rabat-Salé  | 2012.06.05 | © Solar Impulse | Jean Revillard

To ensure visibility when landing after sunset, a lightweight landing system using LED lights was developed. The lights are protected by the same resilient plastic found in Swatch watches. The entire system, including the protective glass, the wiring, power transformer and connector, weighs just shy of 4.4 pounds (2 kilograms). Designed by Omega.

You may want to check out a couple of our other stories about Solar Impulse:

• Solar Impulse Will Fly From San Francisco to New York City
• On the Tarmac with Solar Impulse, the Solar Airplane

By Amber Archangel

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