Next generation solar aircraft in Switzerland debut

　　Solar-powered aircraft "solar impulse" design planning of local time on Wednesday formally announced its new plane, the distance of its global flight plan is a one-year period. "Solar Impulse 2" as a follow-up to the original aircraft models, using the same name as the original aircraft, and the aircraft in the unused fuel was completed last year across the United States sailing.

　　Both aircraft are is by far the most power-efficient aircraft design. First prototype pilots, a flying laboratory, "Solar Impulse 2" is a bigger, better version of its predecessor, its wingspan of 72 meters. Although the same wingspan as the A380 aircraft, but it was below the 1% of the A380 aircraft, only 2,300 kilograms. The aircraft weighs less than 25 g/m² carbon fibre laminates manufactured, weight is only a piece of paper 1/3. The aircraft will be in the wing and fuselage lay the 17,248 solar cells to provide power, with the aim of at least 120 hours no stop flight around the world.

　　That starts next month in Switzerland after flight testing, plans at some time after March 1, 2015, under ideal weather conditions, took off from the Gulf stream to a certain position, flying to the East, and will take at least five days of time to fly from China to the United States and from the United States to fly back to Europe. Officials say, although it cannot compete with traditional airline, but the focus of the project is to promote green aviation research.

　　Aircraft designers struggle with the problem that more reliable technologies tend to be more severe, but the weight means worse performance. In addition, other problems are to be solved, when the plane is flying over the ocean at an altitude of 8000 meters how to ensure the safety of the pilots. Zhou hongyi subversion of the pioneering first

　　"Solar impulse" aircraft project has been launched in more than 10 years ago, and the traditional aircraft manufacturers to seriously consider. When the "solar impulse" plane 12 years ago when it was put in the design of computer can see the huge wingspan and the light weight of the structure, all the world's aviation experts began a foolish laugh at now, real existence of the aircraft.

　　The first "solar impulse" aircraft began flying in 2009. The next year, the record it hit a 26-hour flight, proves it can store enough energy for night flights during the day. Last year across the United States before the flight, the aircraft had flown through Europe, and across the Eastern Mediterranean to Morocco.