Solar Airplane, Piccard&A-rabs

With credit to 'Propwash', from Aero-News.net
see this:
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A Solar Plane to be funded by A-rabs In Oil Country?

United Arab Emirates cited as 'Likely' To Fund Sun-Powered
Aircraft (airplane) Experiment.

Maybe Steve Fossett had it wrong -- maybe there IS
another aviation record worth breaking.

And maybe,

Monsieur Bertrand Piccard will break it.

Piccard, who went to The United Arab Emirates for a
freewheeling
'Festival of Thinkers,'
told the Khaleej Times
he now has 50 people working on creation of a solar
powered airplane.

Piccard said he expects to begin construction of the
aircraft next year.

'I am hopeful of making the first test-flight by the
end of 2007, cross continents flights and oceans between
2008 and 2009, and actually go around the world in
2010,' he told the Times.

As Aero-News Network reported in 2003, Piccard has
help from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology,
Laussane Switzerland.

But while that might give him a leg up on the technological
side of development, it doesn't necessarily fund the
project.

For that, Piccard is reportedly turning to the UAE.
For more than a few squeaks from the Sheiks. Will
he have to heckle to get more than a Shekel ?

During his trip to the arabiya UAE,
Piccard met with His Excellency
Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan,
UAE Minister of Education,
to obtain further backing for his project.

'I have all the reasons to believe that this is going
to be one of the milestones of exploration in the 21st
century. It is history in the making and I would like
to have the arab emirates and the Higher Colleges of
Technology as partners in this project,' he told the
KhaleejTimes.

Once his aircraft is built,
Piccard plans to fly it around the world -- non-stop.

The Abu Dhabi newspaper reports UAE funding for at
least part of the project is 'likely.'

Is it a stunt?

'No way,' said Piccard.

'What will change the world is promotion of new profitable
market, new products and activities linked with sustainable
development. And my solar plane is a symbol of just
that,' he said in his exclusive interview with the
Khaleej Times.

FMI:
www.epfl.ch/Eindex.html,
www.solar-impulse.com,
aero-news.net
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My query:

Is this reasonable for Arabs to fund aircraft that
do not use fossil fuel?

That seems counter-intuitive,,,after all, what is it
that they sell to the world? Fossil juice and dromedary
dates, no? Yes, OleoDeLaTerre. Thas it.

Well, seems their principal motivation for financial
involvement in such an experimental airplane backing
may be participation of one of their technical colleges
and seeking fame therefor.

Of course, if this technology could be developed and
used well then there may be big bucks in selling applications
for surveillance and monitoring of remotely piloted
UnmannedAerialVehicles
of which, perhaps, there are some flying about in
the arabiya and irani and afghani and other lands.

Dancing on clouds,

Keep it up!

Jim Culp USA
GatorCity Florida

Is this reasonable for Arabs to fund aircraft that
do not use fossil fuel?

It certainly is. Because oil is not an infinite resource, it only
represents wealth to the oil producing countries so long as it is available.
It will end someday, as will their income.

That makes it reasonable to fund alternative fuels for a number of sound
reasons. It will postpone the date when their oil is depleted. At the same
time, it will provide a new source of energy, which would make it more
likely that the free-enterprise system would be useful to resolve the energy
demands and less the liklihood that control of the energy source is by non
free-enterprise methods. And, finally, if the oil countries control the
techology of the alternate fuel and use their wealth to control new energy
production, they will have multiplied their wealth.

In addition to the financial advantages, there may be a bit of public
relations in such an adventure. Consider the cost of such an investment
compared to the total oil income.

But, once we get some sort of lift in our gliders, we are also solar
powered, simply using energy created by the sun.

Colin N12HS