This Genius Solar Plane Can Fly Forever

This video covers a project that he US navy have invested over $5 million into so they can undertake surveillance 24 hours a day, 7 days the weeks. The aim is to do this more cheaply and conveniently that the widely used MQ-4C. For this, they plan to use a solar powered airplane. This seems like a new project by the Spanish-US firm Sky dweller Aero, however, the development for this project has been underway for many more years under the name Solar Impulse.
Sources:
aroundtheworld.solarimpulse.c...
www.flightglobal.com/military...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-en...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_I...
Thanks for watching!

[@garynarborough]

Really fascinating to learn this. An eye into the future. You've obviously put effort and research into this video. Great video and a big thank you for your efforts ☺️

[@IAmTheAce5]

If they go further with this, I'm imagining a 'nested system' where a larger solar-uav feeds microwave beamed-energy down to smaller surveillance uavs, which beam back imaging data back up to the larger uav, and onto the remote surveillance station.

[@greanskull7981]

How does this not have WAAAAY more veiws??? Cool story, not over edited, and too the POINT!! Beautiful

[@YishayFanijamaa]

Thank you, very informational. We appreciate your dedication to these innovations.

[@backacheache]

If it carries a starlink terminal on it's back, it'd have enough bandwidth to constantly run some very hi-res cameras #eyeinthesky

[@SDX2000]

Starlink terminals are geo-locked.

[@user-mn3qp3rx8z]

@@SDX2000 not anymore lol (read about starlink maritime)

[@Tony-zi9qg]

... It's super cool to have, like strategically, but this definitely won't be kept on military targets lol

[@loisplayer2658]

Really interesting as always!

[@GTAguidesIta]

great video

[@rozinaakter7147]

Amazing

[@MattnUska]

At that cruise speed you would be pretty beholden to wind direction. Especially at altitude. Amazing concept though.

[@jorissimaitis7619]

Super interesting

[@bryonfeliksa3845]

With toroidal propellers, they could increase speed and efficiency at the same time!

[@Maelkes]

Honestly, some of these planes should be more mainstream by now.

[@ruthlessrubberducky5729]

I've also had the thought of having a system of planes doing the jobs of satellites in the case of a war where one side decides to be jerks and shoot down satellites. This could make communication infrastructure more durable and affordable if I'm right. Could preserve some extra real estate in orbit and connect remote areas better.

[@Knot_Sean]

A plane that can be powered by a Raspberry Pi.

[@gaHuJIa_Macmep]

Strange. Given the low cruising speed of the airplane and great effort invested into making it energy-balanced wouldn't it be easier and more straightforward to opt for a helium-filled flat aerostat which could float at even higher altitudes with comparable speeds? Energy for its spy electronics it could get from the similar solar panels but given its bigger size its energy supply will be higher. And due to its aerostatic nature it remained afloat even in case of power shortage...

[@drgeoffangel5422]

Thus the requirement for a low cost spy , and communications pod in the sky, that never need come down, has at last been realised! As technology improves the concept and performance will also improve, and the costs for commercial variants will become viable for private companies too! At least after the initial cost ( and cost to the planet) manufacture, it will be clean, low cost flying thereon in! These UAVs' high up in the stratosphere will be game changers to mankind, doing what a short time ago was only a dream! Such is the advance of modern technology!

[@b.critical7873]

I wonder would pairing it with a Helium filled Airship frame be a feasible combination?

[@gaHuJIa_Macmep]

Helium filled aerostat will be far better and cheaper than this nonsense.

[@zuki9537]

@@gaHuJIa_Macmep Do you know how slow and how expensive a helium filled aerostat would be

[@Inoculant]

helium is a dwindling resource, it will run out soon@@gaHuJIa_Macmep

[@user-cy8pm8ww1c]

you can survive a 2012 like catastrophy if you have this plane.

[@gaHuJIa_Macmep]

Seems a lot of effort applied at a wrong place...

[@vtrandal]

Wind-Wind Scenario

[@Leonlove111]

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