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/

--
Ed Huntress

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.



--
Steve W.

On Fri, 03 Jul 2015 13:48:41 -0400, "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 guess you are. Doing it on sunlight alone is a remarkable technical
achievement.

--
Ed Huntress

On Friday, July 3, 2015 at 1:52:29 PM UTC-4, Ed Huntress wrote:

I guess you are. Doing it on sunlight alone is a remarkable technical
achievement.

--
Ed Huntress

So what are the technical advances? A new type of solar cell? A new type of battery? A new material used in the frame or covering of the aircraft?

The TV program I saw said it was a publicity stunt to promote solar cell useage. The big technical advance according to the TV was a seat with a built in toilet.

I thought we already had solar powered drones that could remain aloft for days.

Dan

On Fri, 3 Jul 2015 17:42:48 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

On Friday, July 3, 2015 at 1:52:29 PM UTC-4, Ed Huntress wrote:

I guess you are. Doing it on sunlight alone is a remarkable technical
achievement.

--
Ed Huntress

So what are the technical advances? A new type of solar cell? A new type of battery? A new material used in the frame or covering of the aircraft?

The TV program I saw said it was a publicity stunt to promote solar cell useage. The big technical advance according to the TV was a seat with a built in toilet.

I thought we already had solar powered drones that could remain aloft for days.

Like that of the Wright brothers, the achievement of something that
hadn't been done before.

--
Ed Huntress

"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 3 Jul 2015 17:42:48 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

On Friday, July 3, 2015 at 1:52:29 PM UTC-4, Ed Huntress wrote:

I guess you are. Doing it on sunlight alone is a remarkable
technical
achievement.

--
Ed Huntress

So what are the technical advances? A new type of solar cell? A
new type of battery? A new material used in the frame or covering
of the aircraft?

The TV program I saw said it was a publicity stunt to promote solar
cell useage. The big technical advance according to the TV was a
seat with a built in toilet.

I thought we already had solar powered drones that could remain
aloft for days.

Like that of the Wright brothers, the achievement of something that
hadn't been done before.

--
Ed Huntress

Do you remember the first non-stop, non-refueled flight around the
world? It wasn't that long ago.

The longest refueled flight stayed in the air for two MONTHS.
http://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=16948

Hardly anyone noticed the first commercial aircraft flight around the
world:
http://blog.nasm.si.edu/aviation/dec...ercial-flight/

This is the sort of accomplishment that has real significance:
http://airminded.org/2009/10/23/the-great-air-race/
"Could any more striking contrast be imagined than the weariness and
exhaustion of Scott and Black and the pleasant excitement of
Parmentier's passengers, who flew in the world's most notable race as
tourists?"

First place went to a custom British racer, second to a standard US
airliner which stopped for passengers. The DC-2 was an early version
of the classic DC-3, the 247D its similar Boeing competitor. The
British winner was made of wood.

One of the DNF competitors was the second person to solo the Atlantic,
after Lindbergh. Do you know who?

I ask to demonstrate how little it meant.

-jsw

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

"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."

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

-jsw

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

"David R. Birch" wrote in message
...
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?

None, and few have since because it's unnecessarily dangerous and
proves nothing about the aircraft.

In 1967 the actress who played Vina in Star Trek's "Menagerie" became
the second woman to fly a single-engined aircraft solo from New York
to Europe.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Oliver

I've used my flight sim to retrace Lindbergh's exploratory flights to
scout out transoceanic airline routes.
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/100...lindbergh.html



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

Research funding and a market will inspire improvements. I don't know
how practical the goal of 24/7 flying WiFi hotspots is. Thunderstorms
reach higher than airliners can climb and have brought down several,
like Air France AF447.

This is the competition to solar-electric aircraft:
http://archive.defensenews.com/artic...oll-Dirigibles

Both can stay on station a long time, neither is a practical people or
cargo transport.

Having worked in the R&D field I'm just wary of becoming enthusiastic
over publicity stunts. I want to see practical applications.

-jsw

On 03/07/15 18:23, 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/

Good on him for making it OK, I had seen the news of the aborted attempt
but wasn't aware of the new try. Not sure I would agree with the longest
flight without refuelling record though as it refuels from the sun
during daylight, how far would it get on a charged set of batteries and
no solar cell input.

I thought that the Solar plane that Nasa flew went from Ca to Australia.
It wasn't going around the world it was doing long loops.

It was using the special solar cells that Cypress Semi developed and
spun off. Very efficient. This one might be using the same cells.

Martin

On 7/3/2015 12:23 PM, 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/