Designed To Fly Around The World On Solar Power Alone

Late last week, Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg unveiled the Solar Impulse HB-SIA at Dübendorf airfield close to Zurich.  It is the first aircraft designed to fly both day and night without fossil fuel or emissions.

Photo Courtesy Solar Impulse

The presentation of the prototype took place in front of more than 800 people, including 200 representatives of the international media, and many high-ranking guests among them H.S.H. Albert II of Monaco, the Swiss Minister of Energy and Environment, the CEOs of Solvay, Omega and Deutsche Bank and the CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg first retraced the history of the project since it was launched in 2003. 6 years of intense work, calculations, simulations and tests were needed by the 70-person team to complete this totally unprecedented aircraft. With the wingspan of a Boeing 747-400 it weighs only about 3,500 pounds, or about the weight of a family car. Over 12,000 solar cells mounted onto the wing will supply renewable energy to the four electric motors with a maximum power of 10 HP each. During the day they will also charge the lithium-polymer batteries, which account for about 880 pounds, which will permit the HB-SIA to fly through the night. Piccard is no stranger to extreme flying. He made the first round-the-world balloon trip in 1999.

The HB-SIA is the first prototype of the Solar Impulse project. Its mission is to demonstrate the feasibility of a complete day-night-day cycle propelled solely by solar energy. After fine-tuning on the ground, the aircraft should make its first test flights between now and the end of 2009, first of all at Dübendorf airport (canton of Zurich) and then from Payerne air base (canton of Vaud). A first complete night flight is programmed for 2010 and will take place over Switzerland.

Photo Courtesy Solar Impulse

The results from the HB-SIA and their analysis will serve to develop and build a second aircraft, the HB-SIB for circumnavigating the word in five stages, each lasting several days, in 2012.

FMI: www.solarimpulse.com