The solar-powered aircraft "Navigator 2", named by NASA, used solar energy to reach an altitude of 24,500 meters in Hawaii, United States, and flew continuously for 3 p.m., setting two new world records. This is due to the 12,500 watt power supply provided by the solar cells, which allows the solar plane to be equipped with 8 higher-power electric motors to maintain the normal flight of the solar plane.
What does a solar-powered airplane look like?
The “Sunrise” aircraft is one of the world’s first solar-powered aircraft. It is made of lightweight but strong materials and weighs only 57 kg. The aircraft has two upper and lower wings, with 500 photovoltaic solar cells installed on the upper surface. The outer mask is a protective layer of transparent plastic.
On July 7, 1981, the small solar-powered plane "Solar Challenger" flew tranquly in the sky. After five and a half hours of flying 260 kilometers across the English Channel, we flew from Paris to London in one go. This historic flight shows that solar energy has entered the aeronautical field.
The newly developed large-scale solar aircraft "Falcon" has already completed a test flight, reaching a new milestone in practicality. Its huge wings are covered in solar cells, driving eight propellers to slowly stir the air with very little noise. The speed reaches 145 kilometers per hour. The “heel” part of the “Falcon” is also equipped with missiles with excellent performance.
Solar-powered planes will never be able to land and become a mobile fortress in the air.