I think this drone is perfectly sensible. But if it delivers politically undesired content, or ordnance, it will be an easy target for ill-intentioned biologicals on the ground. Remove the occupant, vastly increase flight duration, and BAM there's your weapons platform.
Except drones aren't that hard to shoot down, and these solar powered ones are huge, slow moving targets.
Not everyone has surface to stratosphere shootdown technology. So these would be more challenging than the nettable ones.
I'm use to the opposite. Whatever area it flys over, the government invariably gets some kind of revenue for "leasing" the airspace or spectrum or paying a communications tax. This whole undertaking is to make money and governments will make sure they cash in, not shoot it down. Having worked on laser communication systems, I am curious how Facebook is going to meet all the international safety standards for protecting eyes. Imagine some school kids looking at the drone through a big telescope right under where the downlink is sent.
True, but they also aren't stealth like US military ones. Neither are they as hardened. So they likely won't survive being captured by some ne'er do wells, and then it likely doesn't have the payload to actually carry a real threat.
He is the OP supporting the whole undertaking and posting the progress updates. The "wacky" remark was entirely a term of endearment, not distain if the whole thread is read.
Well, I am glad that SI2 exists, and it be a tribute to both build engineers and the weather team if they finally succeed. Human flight itself was wacky before it became commonplace. That really did not take very long. Energy-dense hydrocarbon fuels made a huge contribution to that. SI2 works on energy-sparse (dilute?) solar. So the wacky phase might last a while.
Solar Impulse plane makes first maintenance flight in Hawaii The battery thermal maintenance issue may be corrected.
They will fly when weather permits After a Long Delay, Solar Impulse 2 Is Ready to Finish Its Round-the-World Flight | WIRED
Piccard is off, and intending Moffett Field (San Francisco area) Solar Impulse sets off for California after long lay-off - BBC News
A faster-than-expected leg completed Solar Impulse 2 Crossing Pacific Reaches California - NBC News Somebody, buy the team an other-than-Hawaiian meal. Because, poi.
Not frequently updated for lack of local interest, HB-SIB, rests in Dayton OH until next flight to New York. That one will end in a very densely populated airspace; maybe interesting to see if big birds there will suffer re routing. I haven't found out if they recharge batteries on ground, and it so, how? Plugging in to local power would seem to be cheating... +++ There is another round the world flight underway. NASA uninhabited helium balloon made to not pop in the thin upper atmosphere. Operations Information Launched from New Zealand, following the wind, and so far, just nearing completion of an unintended circuit.The gamma-ray science being done on board doesn't depend on going all the way around though. Just being at a serviceable altitude.
The SI2 isn't a fast plane. So why not take some load off the design of having to provide all its own lift with the use of helium? Blimps seem to be ideal where time aloft is more important than speed. They might even replace cargo helicopters in the future.
Helium lifting bags sounds novel. Maybe can do some calcu-estimations. There is a lot of potential for blimps (LTA) ; those in wide use would change the 'helium crisis' from a fringish concern into something really prominent. +++ There may be as much as 50 cubic meters of void volume in SI2 wings and fuselage. That is a generous estimate. 1 cubic meter He gives about 1.1 kilogram of 'lift'. So, one could redo the whole thing and perhaps shave 50 (40?) kg off the 2300 kg at present. I think not.
Oh, the other thing is that SI2 does major altitude swings in flight, up to 10 km or so. Helium bags will need to be pretty strong -> not light.
I was picturing one the proposed or in development dirigibles in which the rigid helium envelope also forms a wing, not putting helium in the SI2. We, like this one; Solar Ship: The hybrid airship with a low-carbon twist Hybrid airship - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On to New York City, and to fly around the big bronze lady Solar Impulse 2 to make New York fly-over - BBC News If I were there I'd wake up to see that.
Nighttime VFR not approved Seriously, you know I'd like to fly it. 20 KW motor, maybe 6 m2 of 30% efficient PV, and I do not know what batteries for 4 hr endurance. We be lookin' for thermal updrafts. Still enjoying the thought of a small diesel (like Delta Hawk), any old airframe, and a barrel of kerosene. Sigh.
