Not having a solar-powered plane to abort his downfall, Icarus did it wrong in flying too close to the sun. Now Bertrand Piccard attempts to repeat the same, however, in a sensible way. No, he will not fly close to the sun. Instead, what he will seek to accomplish is a solar-powered flight round the world on his Solar Impulse.
The aircraft is comparatively lighter than a small car and touts a relatively lower takeoff speed of just 22mph. Trying to chase the sun at around 44mph, a cramped cockpit will be the only place for rest. Here too, a nod for more than 20 minutes at a time could prove fatal.
Via: BBC