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1. 

   GreenEngineer Posted 9:14 am
   10 Apr 2007

   solar flight

   This is ubercool.  Sailplanes are definitely the "light footprint" version of personal recreational aviation, but they are traditionally dependent on a conventional tow-plane to get aloft.  This breaks that dependency.  Extra-tasty!

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2. 

   Biodiversivist Posted 10:50 am
   10 Apr 2007

   My bike would short out in the rain

   until I found a way to seal everything. So far, so good. Throttle would go wide open all of a sudden.

   In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world

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3. 

   caniscandida Posted 11:09 am
   10 Apr 2007

   way wrong

   We want to see lots lots more of that dreamy cowboy kid narrator.  And if that old guy leaning back in his vehicle has a story to tell, well, perhaps that can be fit somehow into the more important stuff...

   Chickens are our cousins! So are other sensitive animals! Enough is enough! No more factory farms!

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4. 

   Glenn Pew Posted 12:02 pm
   10 Apr 2007

   from the author

   Thanks for posting my vid, Adam.
   ... And for the comments, all.

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5. 

   GreenEngineer Posted 12:44 pm
   10 Apr 2007

   short circuits

   Throttle would go wide open all of a sudden.

   Ouch. That can't be much fun. :)

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6. 

   Biodiversivist Posted 1:22 pm
   10 Apr 2007

   That's what

   kill switches are for. Not sure I'd want to fly a sailplane that could catch on fire if it got wet.

   In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world

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7. 

   Junkk Male2 Posted 6:34 pm
   10 Apr 2007

   Assault on Batteries

   This is truly inspirational.

   I (and, I suspect, a few others - http://junkk.blogspot.com/2007/04/my-friends-electric-dre ... ) have had certain concerns on the promotion of electric power as non-polluting.

   When it is in this form, aside from the consequences of manufacture, it seems a rare beacon of solar-powered reality in transport. To get a craft charged up, aloft and to its destination with no power input other than the sun is awesome.

   It seems viable battery capacity is the only restriction on realising his dream of a 2 or 4-seat version, which is where the practicalities of personal or indeed small-scale cargo (couriers?) transportation kick in.

   Now all we need in the UK is the weather. Mind you, looking out the window, and with a certain sense of irony global-warming-wise, that may soon not be such a problem.

   Do before you talk. Then share. If it's also fun and inspiring, people will want to read more. They may even be inspired follow your example.

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8. 

   Laurence Aurbach Posted 11:03 pm
   10 Apr 2007

   more info

   Eric Raymond's Solar Flight site has photos and background information. The best source is this article from Aerospace Testing International: Page One, Page Two.

   http://pedshed.net

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9. 

   amazingdrx Posted 11:54 pm
   10 Apr 2007

   Plugin Hybrid Turbofan Aircraft

   Look for solid oxide fuel cell/turbofan plugin hybrid airplanes real soon.

   The thing is that getting into the air takes a lot of power, cruising not as much.  Given a few more generations of batteries their weight will approach the weight of liquid fuel, for the equivalent amount of energy.

   A hybrid turbofan engine would cruise on battery power.  The takeoff would use liquid fuel through solid oxide fuel cells that would generate electricity directly to power the hybrid turbofan.

   Then the very hot exhaust gases from the solid oxide fuel cell would provide additional power by expanding through the turbine in the turbofan engine.  This would yield very high efficiency, several times the efficiency of a normal turbofan aircraft engine.

   When the aircraft got to cruising altitude the batteries, previously charged on the ground from renewable energy, would take over.  

   Solar panels on the wings?  Still too heavy, but who knows?  

   Maybe with an almost lighter than air helium filled silicon bubble aircraft that uses solar heat to climb then glides/flys to it's destination on direct solar electric power?  By designing solar concentrators into the structure, solar cells could be 1/10nth the size and weight and operate at 39% efficiency.  This efficiency with concentration has been proven at the National Renewable Energy Labratory.

   A lighter than air foam made from helium filled silicon bubbles has already been developed too.  And this silicon compound is extremely strong.  

   http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog

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10. 

    amazingdrx Posted 12:03 am
    11 Apr 2007

    Way cool solar flyers

    http://www.blazingwings.org/entry/top-12-solar-powered-ai ...

    Maybe solar panels are light enough?  Still that 39%, 1/10nth the weight design would really rock!

    http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog

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