Ask Slashdot: What Stands In the Way of a Truly Solar-Powered Airliner? 590
centre21 writes "I've been reading about solar-powered aircraft all over the Internet, as well as solar power in general. But I'm wondering: is it more than just solar cell efficiency that's preventing the creation of a solar-powered airliner? Conspiracy views aside (which may be valid), it seems to me that if I were running an airline the size of United or American, eliminating the need for jet fuel as a cost would be highly appealing. So, I'm asking: what stands in the way of creating true solar-powered airliners?"
Re:Um... (Score:4, Funny)
Simple : (Score:5, Funny)
Nothing a good kickstarter campaign cannot solve...
Re:Um... (Score:5, Funny)
But if you had a solar powered jet engine you could chase the sun. And you would never need to waste energy on landing lights.
Re:Darkness (Score:5, Funny)
In general Darkness would stand in the way of solar powered anything...
Look, let's try to keep Microsoft out of this discussion, OK?
Re:The math doesn't work (Score:5, Funny)
Horses are a truly renewable resource- when one wears out, sell it for meat in a foreign country (or maybe our own some day), and buy a new one. Add a buggy, and a whip to go fast, and you are green.
Brilliant! Horse drawn planes! Compared to solar powered planes, it doesn't sound that bad.
Re:The fastest airplane can't match the 2200 mile (Score:5, Funny)
Aha! So all we need to do is build solar-powered helicopters that sits perfectly still while the Earth rotates under it until you're where you need to be!
Re:Um... (Score:4, Funny)
Clouds?
Forget clouds. Do you really want to be on a plane in the event that the sun suffers a catastrophic failure and stops shining!? Everyone on that flight will be boned!
Re:Also (Score:5, Funny)
Yeah, that would suck. You'll be stuck up there until morning.
Re:Um... (Score:5, Funny)
Aha, but! (Score:5, Funny)
Yep. approx 30 kWh per gallon of fuel, a 747 is burning approx 1 gal/second, so 100K kW (3600x30) needed. Solar gives us approx 1kW / square meter, so we need about 100K square meters of solar panels on our 747
But you forget that as you have to increase surface area for more energy, you also get more wingspan, reducing the need for energy!
By my calculations* the new needs cross over each other at around a wingspan of 200K square meters of solar panel with 10K kW provided. Simple!
* Calculations actually made up figures for humorous effect, writer does not guarantee a 747 with 200K square foot wingspan will fly or not collapse in on itself.
Re:Um... (Score:5, Funny)