Solar Impulse - Flea Hop Helio Cam

Yesterday, powered by its own battery, the Solar Impulse prototype took off from the runway for the first time. It flew a metre above the ground for a distance of about 350 metres. A great moment for the two pioneers Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg and the Solar Impulse team: Its an absolutely amazing experience to watch a dream becoming a reality! Its the culmination of 6 years of extremely intense work on the part of the whole team. This first take-off marks the successful completion of the first stage of Solar Impulse were the comments made by the future pilots not without a hint of pride. It is now ten years since Piccard had the dream of a solar airplane which would fly around the world, both day and night, without fuel and demonstrate the enormous potential of renewable energy.

There is plenty of excitement in store before the round-the-world flight with a stopover on every continent planned for 2012. Now were ready for the next phase: the solar flight tests, André Borschberg announced. During the current tests, which are primarily intended to provide information on the handling of the prototype, acceleration and braking distance as well as propulsion, the solar panels have not yet been connected. In the next few weeks HB-SIA will be dissembled and made ready for the move to Payerne. It is from there that the airplane will make its test flights powered by solar energy in early 2010 right through to the first night flight propelled solely by the power of the sun. Keep tuned!

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• solarimpulse
• hbsia
• hbsib
• symbol
• airplane
• solar
• energy
• world
• zero
• emission
• First
• Take
• Off

[riquemattioda15]

This is like the next generation of Santos Dummond...

[riflepoet]

This is like the next generation of the Wright brothers.

[RICKG1986]

wow- what a great plane!

[gaamin]

Congratulations on this first flight. Looking forward to the next ones.

[babilonico29]

Es un hermoso aeroplano!!!

[TuRtel89]

very awesome plane :D i really looking forward to see some expended flights ;) will this technology also be useable on airliner size planes?

good luck in your flights ;)

[TechState]

A wonderful achievement in it's own right, congratulations :)

[robbedontuesday]

I think this is to show, like in the "Dubai" case, that with determination, will and, of course, large amounts of money, anything is possible. Crisis? What crisis?

[LorellasDad]

Remember where you saw it first!

[wdavidpalmer]

Incredibly inspiring, and very exciting. Does anyone know who scored the music?