Video: Canadian Company Develops Solar Powered Plane/Blimp Cargo Hauler

Green energy presents so many amazing opportunities and advantages over our current energy infrastructure…like the ability to go places where there isn’t any infrastructure. A Canadian company has developed a lightweight plane/blimp that can haul up to 1,000 kg of goods and is powered solely by the sun.

Flying Close To The Sun

The company, called Solar Ship, has developed a lightweight plane that can take off and land in the space of a football field. Big deal, so what right? Totally impractical…oh, wait, it can carry over 1,000 kg/2,200 lbs of stuff a distant of about 1,000 kilometers/620 miles? Well now, that certainly is impressive, and opens up a whole word of possibilities.

Some ideas for ways to use the Solar Ship are as an emergency rescue video to remote parts of the world where disaster strikes. They could also be used to deliver resources to distant mining or hunting outposts…though I wonder what happens should you fly under a big, dark cloud…

Hauler For Humanity

The blimp-part of the plane holds a lot of helium…but not enough to lift the plane on its own. An electric motor, powered by a battery that is charged by solar panels on the blimp’s back, allow the Solar Ship to take off and land in less than 100 yards, and it can be filled with enough helium to allow it to carry over a ton of supplies. Compared to other electric aircraft, which can only transport a few passengers short distances, the Solar Ships seem to have a practical purpose.

So far the smallest version of the Solar Ship, called the Caracal, has been built and can lift over a ton of materials. The designers envision it as useful in situations like those that followed the Haiti earthquake. With the main airstrip ruined, it took 8 days for supplies to be flown in. But the little Solar Ship can land just about anywhere, and while it can’t ferry much compared to a jumbo jet, a little bit can go a long way right after a disaster, and bigger versions are planned that could lift as much as 30 tons of material.

While the first test is already under its belt, more tests are required before production can take place, with runs planned for 2012 and 2013. It will be interested to see how these Solar Ships shape up.

Source: Wired UK | Solar Ships

Chris DeMorro is a writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to HEMIs. You can read about his slow descent into madness at Sublime Burnout or follow his non-nonsensical ramblings on Twitter @harshcougar

MAKE SOLAR WORK FOR YOU!

Next, use your Solar Report to get the best quote!

Tags: Aircraft, all electric, blimp, Canada, earthquake, electric airplane, electric blimp, Haiti, Infrastructure, solar ship, Toronto, zeppelin

About the Author

Christopher DeMorro A writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to HEMIs, Chris can be found wrenching or writing- or esle, he's running, because he's one of those crazy people who gets enjoyment from running insane distances.

DV

Why can it only go 1000km? Does the helium leak out? Is it so slow that the sun has set by the time it travels that far and it can’t recharge anymore?
Jay

Works great until the first light gust of wind comes up. Then you’ll need and area the size of 20 football fields to land it. People have been trying to sucker investors in with LTA craft for generations. Not like it’s a new idea.
Pingback: Another Remarkable Blimp Design For Cargo Transportation « Tai-Chi Policy()
Pingback: Interesting technology « David Knights’ Weblog()
The Hairy Beast

What does this thing and its little putt-putt solar motor do when it’s windy out? That Blimp-wing looks like a hell of a sail.
Mark

Airspeed? # of pilots, crew?
Jeff Wilson

This is awesome. Clean fresh water is always a problem after natural disasters. It would only take 3600 of these blimps several weeks to bring in a days worth of water for the population of Port-au-Prince.
Bohemond

Can it be built and operated at a profit? That is the ONLY relevant question. If it can only stay aloft on subsidies, it’s a failure and a waste of money.
hstad

What happens when it’s cloudy? Park it like all the other BS green energy projects?
JJJ

At this point it looks like a tourist-thing…

But you can imagine lines of “solar planes” transporting cargo containers like “air trains.” Say, from southern California’s Inland Empire into Los Angeles. Or from the ports of Long Beach to the rail yards of Los Angeles…

The idea of “creating” new shipping lines/freeways is very interesting…
Andrew

“Chris DeMorro is a writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to HEMIs.”

But he can’t proof read shit!!!
- http://www.sublimeburnout.com Christopher DeMorro
  
  @ Andrew
  
  </3.
tailgunnerjoe

As a private pilot my first rule of travel was always “Arrive by Five or Miss Happy Hour.”

If these guys don’t arrive by five they will miss happy hour but on the other hand they will enjoy a lovely night in the woods.
Jack

To Everyone
Very interesting concept, though of course it need to be refined both regard to capacities and to make it profitable in the long run. I guess that for the developer, it must be a lot of fun and very interesting experience to develop this system. I see many pros and cons with the system, but one idea could be to invite tourists for a slow flight to explore landscapes and cities. Does anyone have other good ideas for how to utilize this concept?
Bst Rgrds