Solar Plane Flying Around The World

[sanfran22]

Where's Howard Hughes when you need him?

[duane1969]

solar is a great thing,sure not a cure all but "all things in moderation"

anything you can do to break away from the corporates,choke the feds of funds and be more independent you should do

My whole goal in starting this thread was to discuss solar power as a viable option. It never went there until now...

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Isn't it just shifting from one corporate scheme to another? In 40 years will Exxon and Shell be a distant memory and instead will we protesting the billions or trillions that green energy corporations are making off of the people. Reality is that no one does anything for free. The people who are striving to promote and produce green energy sources are doing it for profit.

I know that right now a solar panel is essentially free energy with exception to the cost of the panel, but how long until the govt figures out a way to put some type of monitor on your solar battery array and charge you some form of tax for how much you use?

I know I am coming off as a negative Nellie, but I really do support clean energy efforts. I just think there is too much propaganda and hoopla surrounding it and not enough reality.

[Star_Cards]

I think that solar can still be looked at as a viable source of energy even if their plane is taking a long time to travel compared to other modes of transportation. I don't know of a ton about this plane so I can't speak to it's reasons why it takes 5 months to circle the globe. Even at a 5 month travel time I'd think it's still a pretty impressive feat for it to be completely solar powered. It would seem to me that the technology is working as far as powering the plane. Obviously this version won't replace the typical airplane tomorrow, but I don't think it needs to replace the fueled plane to be considered a viable energy source. Maybe this will be a spring board towards created a solar plane that can eventually replace the typical plane we use today, but it could be 20 years down the road. Look at how long the airplane had to be worked out before it was to the point of what we use today. Even if it doesn't bring about a solar plane that meets todays standards maybe this is a spring board of using the technology in other avenues. Maybe this will help expand the effectiveness of affordability for collecting solar power for homes or other ways where there's not such a great risk as in air travel. It seems to me that home solar power has a greater value based off of the numbers of homes as opposed to air travel. I know of no actual numbers as far as that goes but making an assumption based off of the amount of buildings that use electricity.

[timber09]

I think this is more of an example of where we have come with other sources of energy. There are areas where we are going to be relying on fossil fuels for the entirety of our lifetime (manufacturing, construction, flight, etc) however there are alternatives that can and should be explored and explored aggressively.

In this one mans humble opinion, the United States is sitting in an enviable position where we have the opportunity to invest, create and develop cutting edge technology and infrastructure that can literally change the world. At the same time, rebuild our struggling manufacturing industry, provide jobs, and reduce our need to import oil. Instead we pander to lobbyists and special interest groups and somehow think that if BP can make an additional $0.25 per gallon that we as a country are holistically in a better position.

Solar power can never replace fossil fuels however there are some really cool developments that have been made already - if only we had the stones to try and implement some of them. I read one article about a new highway system that has been discussed and, to some degree, put together on small scales where the road system is made up of cells that not only pull in solar energy but also the heat/energy created by the friction of the vehicles on said road. Fascinating stuff that really has a lot of local applications especially in the southwest.

Anyway - the plane itself is an interesting case study but I would guess that I will never be on a commercial flight fueled by the sun.

[andrewhoya]

First, you brought up the Airbus A380. Depending on which one you intended to refer to...



And it turns out that isn't even the biggest one...


http://www.therichest.com/rich-list/...ger-airplanes/

But being the pilot here and thus the expert, you already knew all of this, right?

As for me saying "smallness" having to do with passenger loads...well that is pure physics. Vehicles that only carry one passenger tend to be small.

I didn't prove your point. I said solar energy is unreliable. You said the solar plane is not grounded because of issues with the solar energy component. The article clearly says "The sun is our boss", an obvious statement to the need for sunlight. And I know it hasn't taken off because of winds...I said that already. It also has been waiting for the days in that area to get longer...thus the need for more sunlight.

You're beating around the bush. I know what the 380 is capable of holding. I asked you to show me a seat map of an airline that had a one class layout, AKA your 850 seats on the plane. I'll save you the research. There isn't a SINGLE one out there. The 380 is technically capable of holding over 1000 passengers if they removed enough legroom and added another exit or two...but no airline is that stupid (though some are close).

As far as vehicles and tendencies.....that's all it is. A tendency. Size does not always have to do with passenger loads.

Thanks for the discussion. It's not every day I get to rant on about planes :)

[shrewsbury]

Your spin is epic.

coming from Spin Master DJ Jazzy Habs Master of Spinjitsu, I will take that as a compliment.

[habsheaven]

coming from Spin Master DJ Jazzy Habs Master of Spinjitsu, I will take that as a compliment.

I will take that response to my setting you straight as an acknowledgement of your blunder.

[gsj68]

[deansayso]

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releas...-mai041615.php

Solar might not be the only part of the equation.

[Star_Cards]

interesting article. I didn't read it all but the idea of capturing and using carbon dioxide is very intriguing.