Flight pioneer Bertrand Piccard, an aeronaut who made the first
nonstop round the world balloon flight, recently unveiled a
prototype of an incredible solar-powered airplane that will one
day circle the globe. Dubbed the Solar Impulse, the plane first
caught our attention when it was being developed, and we’re
thrilled to see a working prototype of the vehicle. Is the age
of the solar powered airplane upon us? The first test of the HB-
SIA, (the technical name for the Solar Impulse), will take place
at the end of 2009. The Solar Impulse team is aiming for a
flight sequence that will last for two days and one night,
propelled only by solar energy. Once that test is completed,
they plan on traveling around the world. The Solar Impulse is
made out of carbon fibre concentrate, looks like a glider, and
has a wingspan of over 60 meters. The wings are covered in
almost 12,000 solar cells which store excess power in over 400
kilograms worth of batteries. These solar cells power four ten
horsepower electric motors, whi