On 7/3/2015 2:24 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
"David R. Birch" wrote in message
...
On 7/3/2015 12:48 PM, Steve W. wrote:
Ed Huntress wrote:
One would have to be pretty jaded or cynical not to be impressed
by
this. The Solar Impulse 2 made it from Japan to Hawaii:

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2015/...acific-flight/



Guess I'm both then. 240 hours or so to fly 1 person on a flight
that
takes about 12 hours to fly 200+. And they had to wait for perfect
conditions to do it.

I agree, its as pointless as what the Wright brothers or Lindbergh
did. The Wright brothers' plane was only in the air for about a
minute and Lindbergh didn't carry paying passengers or cargo.

Why did they even bother? Fortunately, history has forgotten them.

David


Lindbergh was between the 85th and 93rd (??) person to fly across the
Atlantic. His claim was a non-stop solo; a multi-crew seaplane flew it
in 1919.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss_NC-4
"The accomplishment of the naval aviators of the NC-4 was somewhat
eclipsed in the minds of the public by the first nonstop transatlantic
flight, which took 15 hours, 57 minutes, and was made by the Royal Air
Force pilots John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown, two weeks later."

How many did it solo before Lindbergh?


While the solar plane is an advance what we need is lower-cost solar
power, not lowest weight at high cost.

So the fact that it is being done means nothing and will not inspire
others to improve on the tech? Make it cheaper and cost effective?

Sure.

David