Solar plane smashes records
Just a few days after the first manned solar flight an unmanned solar aircraft set up the world record for continuous flight. Solar plane called Zephyr, designed and developed by UK defense technology company took off in Arizona on July 9. and has been flying for nine days.
In fact, Zephyr this time doubled its own unofficial record of over 82 hours of flight and smashed the previous world record for unmanned flight of 30 hours and 24 minutes which was set in 2001. by U.S. aerospace company.
Weighing just 53 kilograms, Zephyr has a wingspan of 22 and half meters and wing area of around 30 square meters. Top side of wings is covered in solar panels thinner than a sheet of paper. Sounds very interesting, so light but so effective in use of solar energy.
Those solar panels were connected to lithium-sulphur batteries which powered the plane at night. 18 months were needed for completion of last prototype. It is very bright future for such solar planes since they can be used in risk situations like monitoring of forest fire.
During the flight Zephyr showed no signs of running out of power so designers are hopeful it will stay in the air for another five days when the plane will finally return to Earth.
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