Posted 06.25.2010 at 2:00 pm
3 Comments
Nephelios
Project Sol'r
A year behind schedule, a team of French engineering students is finally preparing to send Nephelios, the solar-powered manned airship they've developed, on its maiden voyage across the English channel.
The ambitious project had aimed to accomplish this feat last summer, but ran into budgetary problems. Now, with the ship complete, they're ready to send it on its hour-long journey from Calais to Dover.
Nephelios is powered by an array of flexible solar panels lining the top of the helium-filled envelope. The panels have a peak power output of 2.4 kilowatts that's directed to an electric motor powering two propellers. It's 72 feet long and carries a single passenger at a cruising speed of around 20 miles per hour.
[Project Sol'r [translated from French] via Inhabitat and NOTCOT]
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Hi folks,
Looks like real fun in the sun. I even think he might make it across on a 100% sunny day with a light tailwind to help, but not sure what the record folks will say about the tail wind as it is cheating in some ways.
Round the world next summer with Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) new solar powered Skycat that a new punter will probably order for the real record challenge, that will need 2 crew and batteries plus a higher altitude and performance blimp. HAV just won a 517 million dollar contract with partner Northrop Grumman to build a LEMV (Type of Skycat hybrid airship) for the US Army.
If you want to see more on modern airships, past, present and future see: www.airshipblimp.com or if you just want a helium sniffing laugh try www.airship.me the worlds only lighter than air comedy site, with lots of funny pictures and U tube links fit for all the family.
Regards Bond, James Bond.
(Skyship blimp pilot in a View to a Kill)
Can't wait until blimps are being used more commonly. Restaurants in the sky. Slow trips across the country. Produce being shipped north from the south by blimps the same day they are harvested. Fewer trucks on the highway.
ocmclean,
Your going to have a long wait, We might see more blimps used for site seeing tours; but they are simply not an effective vehicle for point to point transport for passengers or bulk cargo-trains and planes will always be a better choose.
More likely we will see unmanned solar powered blimps used for surveillance and wireless communication-kinda like a low level satellite.