Solar Powered Airship Set for Cross-Channel Flight

A solar powered airship conceived and assembled by students in France is set to make history this summer when it crosses the English Channel and demonstrates that travel with no associated CO2 emissions really is possible. 

The solar powered airship represents significant new renewable energy technology in itself, but its flight will also be historically significant, since 2009 marks the 100th anniversary of the first crossing of the English Channel by air, which was carried out by a Frenchman, Louis Bleriot, in his own aircraft, the Bleriot XI monoplane.

Solar Powered Flight

The airship is known as ‘Nephelios’, and represents one component of a wider project called Sol’R.  Solar powered flight trials are set to get underway before the end of July 2009 and – according to its creators – the airship’s cross-channel flight will take place “just to show that its possible.”

On the construction side, Nephelios’ outer frame is made of aluminium, coated in polythene and nylon. The airship features an array of photovoltaic panels, which collect solar energy and convert it into electricity.  This electricity provides power to a motor, which drives the airship’s pair of propellers.  The energy capacity of these photovoltaic panels is 2.4 kilowatts – sufficient to power the airship along at 25 miles per hour.

Its public debut occurred during last month’s Paris Air Show – an industry showcase event for the military and civil aviation industries.

Solar Airship Project

The students behind the solar airship project anticipate that the upcoming flight between England and France will last a little under 60 minutes. 

In comments made to Wired.com, project spokesman Felix Hildenbrand explained how the airship was more a concept platform than anything else and, therefore, didn’t have any direct military or commercial applications at this stage.

“As we are a very peaceful people in France we could not imagine that our construction could ever have a military use”, he said.

“In fact we don’t have any commercial interest right now.  Our goal is just to show that it’s possible, and that’s what we are going to do [when we] cross the channel by the end of the summer.”

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