Dr. Bertrand Piccard Outlines Solar Impulse Progress

A high-flying plan to make an unprecedented round-the-world flight, powered only by solar energy, was outlined Monday at the 2008 Singapore Air Show.

Swiss balloon pioneer Dr. Bertrand Piccard updated show attendees on the progress of his Solar Impulse project, intended to produce a lightweight aircraft capable of staying aloft day and night, powered only by solar-generated electrical energy.

"On solar energy you have to capture the energy with solar cells on the wings, store this energy in the batteries and at the same time, run the engine during the day," Piccard said. "So when you get the dark, you can use the energy from the batteries until the next sunrise and continue the next day and next night and next day again."

Piccard expects the batteries to be able to power the aircraft for at least 16 hours after dark, reports ChannelNews Asia. That should give the aircraft plenty of time after sunset, as well as some margin of safety in low-light conditions.

ANN has reported on the Solar Impulse project before. In 2007, the team conducted a series of real-time computer simulations of a global circumnavigation, including replications of several historic flights -- Charles Lindbergh's 1927 Atlantic crossing among them.

Though it exists only in prototype form at this time, Piccard expects the first carbon-fiber Solar Impulse to have its maiden flight in 2009. The aircraft will have a wingspan of about 262 feet -- roughly equivalent to that of an Airbus A380. The aircraft boasts 690 square feet of solar panels, but will weigh just a little more than two tons and will barely accommodate the lone pilot -- Piccard -- in its narrow, highly-computerized cockpit.

The aircraft's solar panels charge ultralight lithium batteries, which in turn power four electric propeller engines along the wings.

The team has raised about 65 percent of the expected $70 million US cost of the project, Piccard notes.

FMI: www.singaporeairshow.com.sg/, www.solarimpulse.com