Solar-powered air flight

A report on solar-powered flight appeared in the print media recently. It is fascinating news, since it is going to establish a pollution-free fuel-powered air transportation, hopefully in a decade or two. The flight will be a "tale of  human endeavour" in the skies. It is expected to take around five months after taking off from Dubai sometime in February and fly round the world, covering a distance of around 22,000 miles in the air. The aircraft will fly at a speed of anything between 30 to 60 miles per hour, depending on wind speed, direction and weather conditions. That it will utilize wind speeds and air lift in addition to solar power, is clear from the aircraft's wing span which will be more that that of a Boeing 747. The aircraft will be powered by lithium batteries for flying at night and during rain and overcast weather.

Those interested to monitor the flight can log on to www.solarimpulse.com. The key figure behind this initiative is a Swiss scientist-cum-adventurer, Bertrand Piccard. I wish him good luck.

Engr. S.A.Mansoor

Dhaka.