Pilot successfully lands Solar Impulse aircraft in Morocco

Readers' comments (14)

• Anonymous | 7 Jun 2012 2:57 pm

  19 hours for an 830km flight by plane? Thats quicker than some low cost airlines!

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• James Stewart | 7 Jun 2012 3:29 pm

  This is remarkable in that solar power is all that it needs, and 19 hours is quite a long ride. Apparently, airspeed is a bit lacking, but I am sure this was not first priority in the design of such craft.

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• Eric Christison | 7 Jun 2012 3:54 pm

  40 Kmh?
  
  Hmmm, faster than a ship. Perhaps of use as an unmanned cargo aircraft if this technology is combined with that of military drones?

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• JohnK | 7 Jun 2012 3:57 pm

  Why?...What purpose is served by this flight. All it does is demonsrtate how slow a solar powered aircraft is (Av speed just over 43 kph). Far better to demonstrate such a crafts ability to remain aloft almost indefinitely. Which by the way has already been well proven. So, again, why?

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• Anonymous | 7 Jun 2012 4:11 pm

  You ask why? Fifty years ago this flight was inconceivable. The Wright brothers first aircraft flew at about the same speed and for only a few hundred feet. Fifty years after that, aircraft were breaking the sound barrier and flying nearly halfway around the world. This flight demonstrates advancement of the technology. Fifty years from now my grandchildren will be seeing practical use of such aircraft.

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• Anonymous | 7 Jun 2012 6:10 pm

  This is great to see. Such enthusiasm about using a free power resource for transportation will someday change the world. Perhaps this technology will evolve enough to be able to transport cargo.

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• Ian Poskitt | 7 Jun 2012 9:25 pm

  Am I missing something here!
  
  Solar, it's flying at night? do they mean battery powered?
  
  Don't get me wrong I am impressed with craft, I just think the reporting is a little thin, this is supposed to be written for engineers.
  
  Ian Poskitt

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• Editor's comments | 7 Jun 2012 9:25 pm

  This article from The Engineer should answer your query: http://www.theengineer.co.uk/in-depth/analysis/solar-impulse-aims-for-24-hour-flight/312943.article

• keshav | 8 Jun 2012 5:47 am

  Must be a very delightful gift on the occassion of WORLD ENVIRINMENT DAY.

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• Anonymous | 8 Jun 2012 6:33 am

  Excellent ...great achievement ...all the engineers and technicians and the Pilot who flew the aircraft....it is a significant step..Congratulations !!!!!

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• Dennis Jewitt | 8 Jun 2012 8:54 am

  Some data on battery capacity and power drain would be interesting. To be truly solar powered the state of battery charge should be the same at beginning and end of flight.

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