An Aviation First
The creators of the solar powered airplane, Solar Impulse, recently completed their first test flight of the aircraft, flying for two hours over San Francisco. The test flight was conducted in advance of the plans for a full-length journey across the United States. The pilots and manufacturers behind the plane hope to have the aircraft completed for worldwide travel in 2015.
The Solar Impulse plane has been put through rigorous tests so far including a night flight and intercontinental flights from France to Morocco without using any fuel.
Primary Objective of Solar Impulse
“Our primary objective was to show that today’s technological innovations can achieve incredible things, like flying day and night powered only by solar energy without using any fuel, nor producing polluting emissions. That first step has now been reached,” said the creators in a statement on the website.
While the advancements are certainly exciting for anyone interested in aviation and green energy, the plane will not be a threat to fueled planes for quite some time as the one-seat Solar Impulse cannot fly through clouds. The creators’ aim is to demonstrate the power of solar energy for further use in the future and show just what can be accomplished.
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