Wired UK: Solar Ship is a Solar-Powered Plane-Airship Hybrid

A Toronto-based company Solar Ship has  designed and built a mash-up of a plane and a  blimp that can take off from a football pitch and fly for hours on solar power alone.   The craft, which shares the same name, will be able to travel 1,000 km carrying up to 1,000kg of cargo, and take off and land on a stretch of ground far smaller than an airstrip. The upper part comprises of a large  helium-filled chamber that neutralises most -- but not all -- of the weight of the craft. The top surface of the chamber is covered with  photovoltaic cells that generate electricity to drive it forward, allowing it to generate aerodynamic lift too.   As a result, it's able to offset the majority of its bulk with the helium but still take off and land like a plane. Jay Godsall, Solar Ship's founder, told the Toronto Star that the aircraft will be able to go where there's no roads, no airstrips, and where planes and helicopters can't reach on a tank of fuel.   Click here to read more on Wired UK.   SS18042