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T
he history of flight has been
shaped by pioneers such as Otto
Lilienthal, the Glider King, Louis
Blériot, the first man to fly across
the English Channel, and Amelia Earhart,
the f irst woman to f ly solo across the
Atlantic. Today’s pioneers are working
hard to develop a whole new generation
of energy-efficient aircraft.
Lightweight aircraft sets milestones
Two of these pioneers are balloonist and
adventurer Bertrand Piccard and his
partner André Borschberg. Their aim is
to circumnavigate the globe in 2014 in
their solar plane “Solar Impulse”, using
only solar energy. The first crucial steps
in the pioneers’ ambitious plan have
Sun-fuelled
wings
Increasing passenger volumes
in international air travel
have intensified the search for energy-efficient drive forms.
Many of the current developments share the same ambitious
goal – to fly using renewable energy.
Energy-efficient flight
Phot
o: S
olar
Impulse
/Jea
n Revill
ard