앞으로는 상업용 비행기에도 Solar판넬을 이용할것 같다는 생각이 든다.
아직은 초기단계라서, 세계 일주를 하는데 오랜 시간이 걸리고, 또 이,착륙을 여러번 했었지만, 희망은 훨씬 더 밝아 보인다. 그때가 오면 한번 태양열을이용한 비행기를 타고 태평양을 한번 건너보고 싶은 바램이 생긴다. 젯트엔진에서 뿜어져 나오는 하얀비행운도 없어져서 운치는 없어지겠지만, 하늘의 공해가 없어져 무척 깨끗해 질것 같은데.......
지구의 표면을 숨도 못쉬게 꽉 막고 있는 고속도로의 Pavement없애는 방법으로, 태양열판 이용 자동차도 상용화가 곧 돼면.... 현재공해로 인한 간접적인 피해에 꼭 비관만은 아닐듯도 싶다. 이런게 바로 팍팍한 현대인들의 삶에 일말의 희망일수도 있지 않을까?
In pictures: Solar Impulse 2's epic round-the-world voyage
- 26 July 2016
- In Pictures
Images from different stages of Solar Impulse 2's round-the-world voyage to promote renewable energy.
- Solar Impulse 2 has landed in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, successfully completing the first solar-powered flight around the globe.
- Andre Borschberg (left) and Bertrand Piccard, the Swiss founders of the project, took turns to pilot the aircraft during an epic 16-month voyage to promote renewable energy.
- "The future is clean. The future is you. The future is now. Let's take it further,'' Mr Piccard said. "I'm sure that within the next 10 years we'll see electric carrying 50 passengers on short- to medium-haul flights."
- The 17-stage journey - which began on 9 March, 2015 - covered more than 40,000km (25,000 miles), taking in four continents, three seas and two oceans.
- With a cruising speed of no more than 90km/h, the pilots showed mental stamina, tackling vast distances. "We were facing the oceans... We had to build up this mindset, not just the plane and technology," Mr Piccard said.
- The longest leg, an 8,924km flight from Nagoya in Japan to Hawaii, lasted nearly 118 hours and saw Mr Borschberg break the absolute world record for longest (time duration) uninterrupted solo flight.
- Solar Impulse is a little heavier than a car, but has the wingspan of a Boeing 747. It is powered by 17,000 solar cells. Excess energy is stored in batteries.
- The aircraft is very sensitive to the weather, and had to wait for weeks in some countries for the right conditions to present themselves.
