Thursday, June 23, 2016

Solar Impulse 2


 Solar Impulse has completed the first ever Sun powered Atlantic crossing, it took just 71 hours (with a following wind) for the 2 seater at around 42 MPH, it's hailed as the future of aviation.
 In 1929 the R101with space for 60 people managed 68 MPH.  In 1903 the Wright flyer (a single seater) managed 30 MPH.
 We've come a long way haven't we, only 71 hours to cross the Atlantic Strange then that a Boeing 777 can do the same trip in 5 hours and 16 minutes (745 MPH) using a "tailwind" (yes ok the jet stream) Now that sounds more like the future of aviation to me, not going back to speeds of the 1920's in a plane so flimsy it'll break apart in a storm (solar impulse not the 777)  Indeed it had to have a following wind as it isn't fast enough to fly into a decent head wind, it would actually end up going backwards.  If thats their idea of the future of aviation, summer holidays are going to have to get a lot longer if your planning a trip to Disneyland.

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