What next for Solar Impulse if the plane completes its round-the-world flight this year? One idea is to develop solar drones to replace satellites, joining Facebook and Google in this experimental field. Solar Impulse pilot André Borschberg touched on his future plans in a recent blog post , “After Solar Plane, Solar Drones?”: “Think about an aircraft capable of flying at high altitudes for months at a time! And of course, by definition, this would be unmanned. Often referred to as drones, they could replace satellites or complement what they do in terms of observation and communication.” This is not just a pipe dream. The team of engineers, designers and partners who created the record-breaking solar plane, known as Si2, are carrying out an advanced feasibility study to develop solar drones or so-called high-altitude pseudo-satellites (HAPS). “It is almost at the pre-design stage,” Borschberg told swissinfo.ch. “We’ll be moving from an exploration project to an industrial project.” His idea is to build smaller, lighter, more efficient unmanned aircraft than the Si2, with a wingspan of 30-50 metres and a payload of only 50kg [the Si2 has a wingspan of 72m and 250-300kg payload]. Controlled from the ground, he hopes […]
