While the USA was preparing for a July 4th holiday celebration, the Solar Impulse team was hard at work, landing on US soil and finishing a huge milestone in their quest to fly a solar-powered airplane around the world. After days of waiting for a window to launch from Japan, and another five long days in the air, Solar Impulse 2 officially arrived in Hawaii on July 3rd. The Solar Impulse team is using their flight to highlight the possibilities that lie within renewable energy, something we are also passionate about at Dassault Systèmes, and we’re pleased to see the plane our software helped bring to life is performing admirably!
After five long days of continuous flight with just a single pilot at the helm, the solar-powered plane arrived in Hawaii on July 3rd, completing one of the most challenging legs of its journey around the world. This portion of the Solar Impulse flight was also record-setting – the 4,000 mile journey set a record for the world’s longest solar-powered flight, based on both time and distance, and the lone pilot, Andre Borschberg, set an additional record for the longest solo flight.
The five day journey was considered the most dangerous part of the round-the-world trip, as it offered no space for the plane to land in case of emergency. No space to land also meant no opportunity to switch pilots, so Andre Borschberg flew for five continuous days and was only able to sleep in 20 minutes stretches during the flight. On Friday he tweeted, “It is delicate to maintain a balance between my energy and the energy of the aircraft.”
Borschberg and his partner, Betrand Piccard, have been switching off as pilots for each leg of the journey. For a closer look into Borschberg’s experience, check out this report by CNN.
Dassault Systèmes software helped to develop the plane, allowing the designers to collaborate and perfect the Solar Impulse 2.
“We had to be right the first time. We needed proven, cutting edge industry solutions to craft the experience for which we were looking. That’s why we went to Dassault Systèmes and its 3DEXPERIENCE platform” said Piccard, President and Pilot of Solar Impulse SA. “An experience perspective is exactly what we needed when creating an airplane to achieve such long flights… Everything, from the propulsion, to the electronics, to the crew facilities needs to be considered, planned, integrated and implemented for such a flight to be successful.”
“More than just an airplane, Solar Impulse is a message,” says Michel Tellier, Vice President, Aerospace & Defense Industry, Dassault Systèmes. “The Solar Impulse project is showing the world that alternative, clean energy can be safe and viable in the most extreme circumstances and that it has the power to change the world.”
Piccard will be picking up the baton next, flying the plane from Hawaii to Phoenix. Solar Impulse will then travel on to New York, then to Europe, and will finally finish in Abu Dhabi. We’ll keep you posted on specific dates for its New York arrival.
Image courtesy of Solar Impulse
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