The International Air Transport Association is getting into the solar airplane business. Sort of.
The trade association has become an institutional partner in Solar Impulse, a Swiss research and development consortium based at the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne.
Solar Impulse is developing the first plane propelled by solar energy that can take off under its own power without generating pollution. The team has set a lofty goal: completing a continuous, 36-hour day-night-day fuel-free flight at some point in 2009.
The plane, registration number HB-SIA, has been under construction since 2007. When completed it will have a wingspan of 200 feet (similar to that of an Airbus A340) and weigh around 3,300 pounds. The HB-SIA will travel at no more than 27 mph and fly at a maximum altitude of 27,000 feet because its cabin will be unpressurized.
Minimizing weight is a huge challenge. Using the sun to both power the plane during the day and charge its wing-mounted lithium batteries for night flight will require making the HB-SIA eight times lighter than any existing glider of comparable size. To do this, the team is stripping the instrument panel down to "bare essentials" and experimenting with a variety of different carbon materials. (See our earlier post for more on the plane and a brief history of solar flight.)
HB-SIA will make its maiden test flight this fall and Solar Impulse hopes to complete a night flight at some point in 2009. Information gleaned from test flights will guide development of a second plane, the HB-SIB, which will be designed with the goal of flying several 24-hour cycles consecutively.
The IATA joins a range of international technology and financial projects involved in the project, including Solvay, Deutsche Bank, and altran. The IATA hopes to see passenger aircraft reach zero-carbon emissions within 50 years and its CEO says working with Solar Impulse will "help make this dream a reality."
So what kind of commitment is the IATA making to the project?
It's going to hook Solar Impulse up with air traffic control clearance for HB-SIA test flights. Yup - an organization that represents 94 percent of all international air traffic is going to make some phone calls and push some paperwork to help advance the viability of solar flight.
Slow down guys. Seems like that could be a huge strain on your resources.
Renderings courtesy of Solar Impulse.