A 1.5 tonne aeroplane, the Solar Impulse, has just set a new world record for the highest and longest flight by a solar powered aircraft. It landed near Bern, Switzerland, this morning, after flying for 26 hours and reaching 8,700m. Charging on board lithium ion batteries from sunlight in the day enabled it to stay aloft during the night, so in theory a solar powered plane could stay in the air indefinitely. The team’s next goal is to fly non stop around the world, probably in 2013.
The technology of photvoltaics will have to come a long way before there is any commercial application to flight. Viable alternatives to fossil fuels already exist for trains, motor vehicles and ships, but so far aircraft rely entirely on petroleum. Anyone who can come up with an alternative, non CO2 emitting means of powering an aircraft is going to become very rich indeed.