The topic of discussion above is the challenges of building a solar airplane, as well as some highlights of the Unified Engineering Flight Competition that took place last week at MIT. The theme for the MIT 2014 competition was Green Aviation Inspired by Solar Impulse.
André tells us in the video that the objective for the Solar Impulse team was to build the most energy efficient airplane. Si2, the new aircraft, flies with a wing span larger than a 747 and weighs about 2 tons, which is approximately 600 pounds lighter than the weight of a Tesla Model S. The solar airplane has a wing load similar to a hang-glider, but it has 70 meters (or 240 feet) of wing span.
André emphasizes that he and Bertrand Piccard are not just flying the solar airplane for the fun of it. Their goal is to communicate a message by demonstrating the power of clean energy technologies and showing the potential in relation to energy savings.
He says that this knowledge is slowly finding its way into home building and other means of transportation. He sees an “unbelievable potential” to reduce the energy we consume by as much as 50% if we extensively apply these technologies everywhere.
Look for our coverage of the first Si2 test flight, which is anticipated in two to three weeks’ time.
source: http://cleantechnica.com/2014/05/20/solar-impulse-inspires-mit-engineering-students-video/
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