Last week's poll: solar aircraft circumnavigation

We received mixed results from the 369 readers who responded to last week's poll, with no clear majority view emerging. The largest group, 44 per cent of respondents,  thought the solar-powered circumnavigation was best regarded as a profile-raising exercise for renewable energy. The next largest, on 28 per cent, thought that it represented a good technology platform (although it's hard to argue with the commenter who stated that a ten-month layover in Hawaii to fix systems was, firstly, not a good indicator of good technology, and second, not the greatest hardship in the world); while 16 per cent thought it indicated solar passenger flight could become a reality (again, commenters have pointed out this is unlikely, with telecommunications or military reconnaisance more probable applications). The final group, 12 per cent, declined to pick an option.