News Solar Impulse 2 attempts to cross the Pacific

[steph]

Also, no one said the sails had to be cloth, or even...sails:
http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/16/tech/vindskip-wind-powered-container-ship/

They could also use a combination of windmills and solar panels to generate electric current to drive the propeller.
Wouldn't using the hull as a sail make it more vulnerable to capsizing in high winds?

 

[Evil_Onyx]

If you used solar and wind turbines you'll maybe get a max speed of 8kns (more likely less), Big ships require lots of power and wind turbines are not that efficient.

It could be more vulnerable to capsizing, but simply because it will have to be designed to have better righting moment, may mean it is less vulnerable to it. With what I can currently see of it I would be more worried about wave action.

---------- Post added at 15:49 ---------- Previous post was at 15:47 ----------

Also It looks like its about half way to Hawaii.

 

[ex-orbinaut]

USS Constitution, HMS Victory, and Cutty Sark grace the oceans again! Hooray!

 

[Urwumpe]

USS Constitution, HMS Victory, and Cutty Sark grace the oceans again! Hooray!

And the Pamir transports grain again....

 

[MaverickSawyer]

SI2 has made it all the way to Midway Island! They're within striking range of Hawaii now!

 

[ex-orbinaut]

And the Pamir transports grain again....

LOL! Yeah. I nearly forgot, however; Ecuador will soon have the most advanced navy in the world!

Back on topic though. Longest solo flight record broken. Now, there is still a highest glider flight record of Fosset's left to break.

 

[kuddel]

Now, there is still a highest glider flight record of Fosset's left to break.

Doesn't the Shuttle count as "glider"?

 

[Urwumpe]

Touchdown in Hawaii!

 

[Evil_Onyx]

Record-breaking solar flight reaches Hawaii after 5 days and nights

Unlimited endurance is now proven thanks to clean technology

Endeavoring to reach Hawaii from Japan to encourage the use of clean technologies (#futureisclean), the solar powered aircraft of Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg achieved the longest exploration leg of the Solar Impulse’s Round-The-World mission.

At the controls of Solar Impulse 2, pilot André Borschberg landed safely in Kalaeloa on July 3rd at 05:55 local time Hawaii, after a perilous nonstop flight for 5 days and night.

 

[Thunder Chicken]

Apparently they overheated some of the batteries during the Japan-Hawaii leg, so SI2 will be grounded for repairs for a while:

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/solar-plane-grounded-by-heat-damage-31369598.html

 

[Evil_Onyx]

Solar Impulse grounded until 2016

The Swiss team trying to fly a solar-powered plane around the world has abandoned its effort for this year.
Its Solar Impulse vehicle's batteries were damaged on the last leg of the journey from Japan to Hawaii and will take several months to repair.
The aircraft will be kept at its Pacific stop-over at Kalaeloa airport while the maintenance is undertaken.

 

[boogabooga]

Their PR stunt is starting to backfire.

I'm now convinced that solar power is an impractical and unreliable technology.

(Not really, but still...)

 

[Fabri91]

Well, I think no-one, includin SI2, would reasonably claim that solar power is usable in airliners for main propulsion: even if all the aircrafts surface area was directed 90° to the arriving sunlight and was covered with automagic 100% efficiency solar cells there would just not be enough power available.

 

[boogabooga]

I know, but still, an 8 month delay on the account of damage batteries is not consistent with the message that they were trying to convey.

 

[Thunder Chicken]

I know, but still, an 8 month delay on the account of damage batteries is not consistent with the message that they were trying to convey.

Boeing had similar problems, nothing to do with the solar technology. Li-on batteries work great until they burst into flames.

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Boeing had similar problems, nothing to do with the solar technology. Li-on batteries work great until they burst into flames.

And THAT is why they're not supposed to be in your checked luggage.

 

[boogabooga]

After a layover of many months, Solar Impulse is flying once again and has recently completed the Hawaii-California leg.

http://www.solarimpulse.com/sitv

 

[Notebook]

BBC article:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-36063490

 

[Notebook]

Another BBC article:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-36349823

N.

 

[Notebook]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-36349823

Solar Impulse has landed in the US state of Ohio following the 12th stage of its circumnavigation of the globe.

The zero-fuel aircraft arrived in Dayton at 21:56 local time (01:56 GMT) having flown from Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The 1,113km journey took pilot Andre Borschberg about 16 hours to complete, a relatively short hop for the plane.