Solar Impulse – Geeky Girl Engineer

Solar Impulse, the solar powered plane that can store enough energy to fly through the night, is currently at Udvar-Hazy Center. The plane is a marvel of engineering both from the standpoint of being able to collect enough solar energy during the day to power itself all day and through the following night but also from the standpoint of being light enough in weight that it needs very little energy to keep it flying. I went to see it while it was open for public viewing Saturday, and from an engineering perspective, it is just beautiful. When viewed in person, you can see how the plane is covered in high strength fabric. In the back stabilizer, you can see the internal structures that give the stabilizer its shape. It is just an amazing vehicle. Note: If you click on any of the photos, it will open up larger in a new page to allow a better look.