Its a bird…. its a plane…. its the High Altitude Long Endurance and Solar Eagle (previously called the Vulture). The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), designed and built by Boeing, is a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) venture that will rely primarily on solar power to accomplish its tasks. With a wingspan of 400-feet, the [...]
Continue reading about Boeing Solar Eagle To Fly 5 Years on Solar Power
We’ve blogged about solar powered airplanes in recent months, but the interest has seemed to be with respect to their novelty, rather than a real potential way to address the massive amounts of fuel consumed by aircraft (and corresponding CO2 emissions). Recognizing the need for a variety of aircraft to serve multiple purposes, Virginia-based Aurora [...]
Continue reading about Solar-Powered Aircraft on the Horizon
Of all the major greenhouse gas emitting sources in the world, commercial air travel is one of the biggest offenders. Now, there is hope for cleaner, greener flights. The Solar Impulse is a giant, 4-motored electric airplane that is covered with more than 12,000 PV solar cells on its wings, fuselage and horizontal stabilizer. According [...]
