jeudi 31 mars 2016

Solar Impulse 2, soon to go again











SolarImpulse - Around The World patch.

March 31, 2016

Grounded since July 2015, the solar plane should fly to Hawaii on April 15th.


Image Above: July 15, 2015, we learn that the Solar Impulse will not takeoff from Hawaii due to damage on the batteries. It should be nailed to the ground until April, 2016.

"The first possible from Hawaii to reach the West Coast of the United States is 15 April," the source said, adding that the first stop in the country was not yet determined.

Solar Impulse 2 Around the World , a revolutionary experimental aircraft Solar Battery, suffered a setback in July, halfway through his journey of 35,000 kilometers.

The device was immobilized for several months, the time to repair damaged batteries at its final stage over the Pacific, a record journey of 5 days and 5 nights between Nagoya, Japan and the American archipelago of Hawaii. Solar Impulse 2 passed its first test flight in late February.

There are three options for the time given for the resumption of his journey: Riverside near Los Angeles, Mountain View near San Francisco (California), and Phoenix (Arizona).

"The destinations on the mainland of the United States have not yet been confirmed and will depend on weather conditions," said the spokesman. "We know from experience that cross the United States represents a climate policy challenge."

Sloar Impulse 2 in flight


Direction JFK

The goal, she said, is to reach New York JFK Airport "to position SI2 for the Atlantic crossing."

Departed from Abu Dhabi March 9, 2015, Solar Impulse 2 has accomplished so far nearly 18,000 kilometers.

Its wings are covered with over 17,000 photovoltaic cells, which charge the batteries the day. The pilot André Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard will take turns at each step to take orders.

Nicknamed the "paper plane", it has a wingspan of 72 meters, larger than that of a Boeing 747, and a weight of 2.3 tonnes, that of a van. In the tiny cockpit, the pilot flew up to 8634 meters, using oxygen tanks to breathe. It must also withstand high temperature fluctuations.

For more information about SolarImpulse Around The World, visit: http://www.solarimpulse.com/

Images, Text, Credits: AFP/SolarImpulse/Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga.

Greetings, Orbiter.ch