Science Focus
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Earlier this week, while the world was distracted by the buildup to the events in Cupertino, the Swiss team behind the first aircraft to fly around the clock on solar power took that craft's successor on its maiden flight.
Solar Impulse 2, a larger and upgraded version of the first craft, is designed to stay aloft for several days straight in order to allow its pilots to take it across the Pacific. To manage that feat, its designers have built a giant glider with a wingspan greater than a 747's but weighing only as much as about a dozen of the jet's wheels. Every horizontal surface on the aircraft is covered with solar panels, and over a quarter of its weight is accounted for by batteries that will keep its propellers turning overnight.
The updated design involves a number of new materials, so this is the first of a series of tests flights that will be necessary to determine if the craft holds up to the wear and tear of extended use. The pilots will also test whether the performance of the aircraft matches up to the predictions made using aerodynamic models—so far, everything looks good in that regard.
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