Science and Technology Blog

Scientists have been looking to replace fuel guzzling aircrafts with solar powered variants, an innovation that, in addition to passing the green test, would also enable planes to remain in the sky for longer.

Darpa, the Pentagon’s advanced-research organization, recently developed an aircraft named Odysseus that could theoretically stay in the air for a decade. The aircraft is intended only for military purposes.

Solar Impulse, a new Swiss solar powered aircraft could have commercial uses. The aircraft, which doesn’t require a single drop of fuel, is designed to run on sunlight alone, as its four engines would be powered by electricity converted by solar cells mounted on the wings. Thanks to this design, the aircraft has the potential to stick around in the air for longer than your average airliner.

The Solar Impulse will be tested later this year, and if all goes well, the Swiss will build a second version that they expect to pilot first across the Atlantic, and then across the entire world in 2012.

Source: PopSci