First round the world solar flight

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

After the Solar Impulse prototype’s 8 world records, when it became the first solar airplane ever to fly through the night, between two continents, and across the United States, it is time for Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg to move on to the final phase of the adventure: the 2015 round-the-world flight.

http://info.solarimpulse.com/en/our-adventure/the-first-round-the-world-solar-flight/

 

[MadMan007]

Interesting, but so many stops hardly makes it seem appropriate to call it 'around the world.' Now, if it was a continuous flight, that would be something else.

 

[krusha03]

Interesting, but so many stops hardly makes it seem appropriate to call it 'around the world.' Now, if it was a continuous flight, that would be something else.

Well the pilot needs to get out and take a dump at some point Joking aside i still think it's impressive seeing as it uses only solar power. Sent an application to one of the partner companies the other day, Altran, so lets see how that works out

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

that would be something else.

yes it would.


This however, is " around the world"





@krusha03

Spoiler

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

And shes off..........................

VID
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-31772140

I couldnt just link the video, but as we are all good readers there is also an up to date BBC report.

more

THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY
To break up flying day and night, Solar Impulse 2 will stop in 12 locations around the world

It will take off in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates in late February or early March.

It will then stop in Muscat in Oman and Ahmedabad and Varanasi in India.

From there, it will fly to Mandalay, Myanmar, before making two pit stops in China at Chongqing and Nanjing.

The solar-powered plane will then cross the Pacific Ocean via Hawaii.

A pit-stop in the south west of the US will be chosen depending on weather conditions, before the Solar Impulse 2 stops off at Phoenix and at JFK airport in New York City.

After crossing the Atlantic Ocean, it will make a stop somewhere in southern Europe, before undertaking the final leg of its journal to land in Abu Dhabi.

The 22,000-mile (35,000km) trip will span 25 flight days, spread over five months.

The two pilots, together with a crew of 80 technicians, engineers and a communications team were in Abu Dhabi for a fortnight before take off this morning conducting safety tests, test flights, and training.

During stopovers, people will be able to visit the airplane and Google Hangouts will be hosted.

lots of great pics and reading
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...t-round-world-solar-flight.html#ixzz3TsRzGu8c

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Solar Impulse 2 makes a pit stop: Pilot lands craft in Oman after 250-mile journey to hand over controls to his partner as epic five-month flight continues

• The world's first attempt at a solar-powered round-the-world flight has made a scheduled landing in Muscat, Oman
• Solar Impulse 2 touched down in Oman to allow pilot Bertrand Piccard to take over from Andre Borschberg
• The plane took off in Abu Dhabi early this morning ahead of a 22,000-mile journey over the next five months
• The pilots are taking alternating shifts flying the plane, with the cockpit doubling up as a bed and a toilet
• They will spend up to five days at a time piloting the plane alone as they travel around the world
• Yoga and self-hypnosis will help them cope with the isolation, but they will only be allowed short 20-minute naps

 

[krusha03]

Where is the toilet???

 

[rtwjunkie]

Where is the toilet???

Right here!

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Where is the toilet???

the cockpit doubling up as a bed and a toilet

its in the bed apparently. ( hope Peter Griffin isnt going

Spoiler: SOILER

)

 

[64K]

I may have missed it but can this plane take off under it's on power (solar)?

 

[Tatty_Two]

Where is the toilet???

trap door? beware of sunbathers on route

 

[krusha03]

I may have missed it but can this plane take off under it's on power (solar)?

Yeah it took off by itself

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

trap door? beware of sunbathers on route

@Tatty_One , i promise not to even look for a gif of that !!!!

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Next stop, India! Solar Impulse 2 takes off from Oman with new pilot as it continues its epic five-month journey around the world powered only by the sun

• Solar Impulse 2 has begun the second leg of its journey, a 910-mile trip to Ahmedabad in India

• It took off from Muscat International Airport in Oman at 2.35am GMT (6.35am local time) this morning

• Swiss pilot Bertrand Piccard took over from fellow Swiss aviator Andre Borschberg for the 16-hour flight

LIVE LINK...there is a cockpit shot shown as well as Mission Control

there is a live map but i cant get onto it .....yet

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Preparations are already under way for the next leg to Varanasi in northeast India, although mission planners say that will not be for another four days, at least.

All here
http://www.solarimpulse.com/

 

[Fourstaff]

Very nice. I wonder if flying eastwards is easier or harder than flying westwards.

 

[krusha03]

Very nice. I wonder if flying eastwards is easier or harder than flying westwards.

Depends from where to where, but looking at their plan that would be the case due to trade winds / jet streams directions in the northern hemisphere

 

[rtwjunkie]

Very nice. I wonder if flying eastwards is easier or harder than flying westwards.

Since most air currents flow west to east, I would say if you have low power and large wing area like this then eastward, but if you can fly faster you can get more lift flying against the prevailing currents.

 

[krusha03]

Since most air currents flow west to east, I would say if you have low power and large wing area like this then eastward, but if you can fly faster you can get more lift flying against the prevailing currents.

You will get more lift flying head wind because the air speed is higher. However you will cover less ground because the ground speed is lower. That is why airplanes always take off and land with head wind.

 

[rtwjunkie]

You will get more lift flying head wind because the air speed is higher. However you will cover less ground because the ground speed is lower. That is why airplanes always take off and land with head wind.

Yeeeees...that is what I was saying. Which is why I made the point about needing horsepower to do it. This thing probably can't get enough power to do anything into the trade winds except sit still like a kite. Thus it flies with the prevailing wind.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

They will be gaining every advantage possible from the local and prevailing winds, i should imagine there will be plenty of weather delays along the way as well. These guys can fly, and then some and they have strong support on the ground.


BERTRAND PICCARD
Initiator, Chairman and Pilot of Solar Impulse

• Born in a dynasty of explorers and scientists who conquered the heights and the depths of our planet.
• Psychiatrist specialised in hypnosis
• International motivational speaker
• Initiator of the Breitling Orbiter project and captain of the first non-stop round-the-world balloon flight, capturing 7 FAI world records for the longest flight of the entire aviation's history for both distance and duration.
• Pioneer of hang-gliding and microlight flying in Europe; European hang-glider aerobatics champion.

ANDRÉ BORSCHBERG
CEO, co-founder and pilot of Solar Impulse.

• Engineer from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL)
• Graduate of the Sloan School (MIT) in management science
• Entrepreneur specialised in start-up companies
• Trained as Swiss air force pilot
• 8 FAI world records for distance, altitude and duration in a solar airplane

Look what i've found now

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Video detailing the construction of Solar Impulse

ENERGY RESOURCES At midday, each m² of land surface receives the equivalent of 1,000 watts, or 1.3 horsepower of light power. Over 24 hours this averages out at just 250 W/m². With 200m² of photovoltaic cells and 12% total efficiency of the propulsion chain, the aircraft‘s engines achieve on average just 8 HP or 6 KW – roughly the amount of power the Wright brothers had available to them in 1903 when they made their first powered flight. And it is with this energy, optimized from the solar panel to the propeller by the efforts of an entire team, that Solar Impulse is striving to fly day and night without fuel!

PROPULSION SYSTEM Beneath the wings are four gondolas, each containing a 10 HP motor, a lithium polymer battery set and a management system controlling charge/discharge and temperature. The thermal insulation has been designed to conserve the heat radiated by the batteries and to keep them functioning despite the -40°C encountered at 8,500 metres. Each engine is fitted with a reducer that limits the rotation of each 3.5 metre diameter, twin-bladed propeller within the range of 200-4,000 rpm.

TECHNCIAL DATASHEET Wingspan 63.40 m Length 21.85 m Height 6.40 m Motor power 4 x 10 HP electric engines Solar cells 11,628 (10,748 on the wing, 880 on the horizontal stabilizer) Average flying speed 70 km/h Maximum altitude 8,500 m (27,900 ft) Weight 1,600 kg Take-off speed 35 km/h.



Loads more detail here http://info.solarimpulse.com/pdf/hb-sia/hb-sia_en.pdf

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

3rd leg Ahmedebad to Varanasi

The solar-powered plane attempting to fly around the world is in the air again, crossing India and hoping to make it to Myanmar on Thursday.
Solar Impulse, with Andre Borschberg at the controls, took off from Ahmedabad at 07:18 local time (01:48 GMT).
It is heading to Varanasi in India's Uttar Pradesh region, where it will make a short "pit stop" before pushing on over the Bay of Bengal.
The leg to Mandalay in Myanmar (Burma) will be flown by Bertrand Piccard.
The two pilots are taking it in turns to guide Solar Impulse on its circumnavigation of the globe.
So far, they have covered about 2,000km in two segments since beginning the adventure in Abu Dhabi.
It will likely be another five months before they return to the United Arab Emirates, having crossed both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans in the process.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Fuel-free aeroplane arrives in Myanmar

The solar-powered plane has completed the fourth leg in its historic bid to fly around the world powered only by the Sun's rays.
Project chairman Bertrand Piccard piloted the vehicle, taking off from Varanasi in India early on Thursday.

This time, the mark set was for the fastest speed in a solar-powered plane.

"You just receive what nature wants to give you but it's true that today I was flying at 200km/h. I think that's the fastest speed with Solar Impulse," said Piccard.
That was confirmed by mission director Raymond Clerc. "This time we touched 117 knots (216km/h). We were focused on the instruments, on our groundspeed indicator, because we knew it would come because we were in this jet stream. It's amazing."

The previous fastest speed was about 95 knots (175km/h; 110mph).

The next leg is to Chongqing in China, and the one after that goes to Nanjing. It is then that the team must prepare itself to make the big Pacific Ocean crossing to Hawaii.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

A nice graphic......click on the < > for the round the world stopover schedule.

https://skfb.ly/CEDD