The revolutionary aircraft Solar Impulse took off from China 2 in the night from Saturday to Sunday and headed to Hawaii, to the most dangerous stage of its world tour, during which the Swiss pilot André Borschberg will stand alone six days and six nights.
Powered by solar energy alone, the unit has taken off Sunday at 2:40 local (6:40 p.m. GMT Saturday), from the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing, where he was nailed for April 21.
Illuminated by spotlights at the front of its wings, the huge plane raced on the track before disappearing in a hazy sky, the sound of his only four propellers audible. The ground crew applauded her off.
The flight of 8,500 km to Hawaii should last about 130 hours which would be a record for a single pilot flying his aircraft, according to organizers.
“Fingers crossed. I hope to cross the Pacific. We have a good weather window “for this crossing, assured André Borschberg before getting into the cockpit.
Nine hours after departure from Nanjing, the aircraft entered the airspace of the South Korea, flying over the East China Sea, as www.solarimpulse.com site.
This departure had been postponed several times due to adverse weather, including last Tuesday due to hedging . cover over Nanking and the Sea of Japan
Never Solar Impulse has 2 flew over an ocean or only stayed in the air more than 24 hours: c is whether this Pacific crossing is a technological challenge and a historic aviation achievement.
At the age of 62, André Borschberg will have to keep a distance of 8,500 kilometers. A performance that will intersect only brief sleep twenty minutes. His seat, he can not leave, is equipped with a toilet system.
Every day, the driver will face the Himalayan altitudes around 28,000 feet (8,400 meters) and temperature changes 55 degrees in the unpressurized cabin seater Solar Impulse 2.
“How will I live in this tiny environment by climbing Everest every day, passing from winter to summer every day ? due to temperature changes, in just 20 minutes resting me every time “was he asked in a recent interview with AFP
-. At worst,” we have a parachute “-
For this journey, no coffee provided:” It helps a few hours, but then it is negative, “he emphasized
In case of breakdown. severe in flight, the Swiss will parachute into the ocean, hundreds of kilometers from any help.
No vessel shall indeed to track the device, which will fly at a speed maximum of 90 km / h at low altitude and 140 km / h in the upper layers
But the hypothesis of his own death leaves marble this engineer by training. “I do not see this as risky, because we have worked long on various issues, “he confided. “If we lose an engine, you can fly with the other three, for example.”
“In the worst case, we have a parachute, a life raft and knows how to use. Obviously, we hope we will not have to do it, “said the driver.
2 Solar Impulse, whose wings are covered with more than 17,000 photovoltaic cells, left on March 9 d Abu Dhabi to a world tour to promote the use of renewable energy, particularly solar energy.
He then stopped in Oman, India, Burma and China, alternately piloted by André Borschberg and his partner in this project, Swiss explorer Bertrand Piccard.
“This first ocean crossing will be unprecedented in the history of aviation. But it is a way (to promote solar energy), not an end in itself, “tweeted Mr Borschberg Saturday within hours of takeoff.
Overall, the device must travel around the world 35,000 km at an average speed relatively small (between 50 and 100 km / h), flying over two oceans.
This convolution was originally scheduled to last five months, including 25 days of actual flight, before returning to Abu Dhabi.
initially mocked by the aviation industry, the adventure is now well received in the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment