Solar-powered airplane heads to New York City

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) — A solar-powered airplane has left Pennsylvania for New York City on the latest leg of its globe-circling voyage.

The Swiss-made Solar Impulse 2 took off from Lehigh Valley International Airport late Friday. It will soar over the Statue of Liberty and fly into New York City, landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Saturday.

The plane originally was scheduled to head to the Big Apple Monday night but showers and thunderstorms moving through the area caused it to be grounded.

The plane had been in Allentown since May 25.

The voyage began March 2015 from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Stops were made in Oman, Myanmar, China and Japan.

-- (c) Associated Press 2016-06-11

Now on its second year of the journey. Solar plane is basically a hanger queen. Good idea but don't think it is quite ready for prime time.

When ever I read the words plane and New York, images of 9/11 flash through my mind. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Incredible. I'm sure within the next 20 or 30 years this technology will have developed so much that commercial airliners will be able to utilise it, probably initially when they get to cruising altitude above all cloud cover. A solar cell of some form will also provide all the power that a typical dwelling will ever require and probably extend to commercial buildings.

Now on its second year of the journey. Solar plane is basically a hanger queen. Good idea but don't think it is quite ready for prime time.

Its never intended to be "prime time" as you put it. The same was said of the discovery of the light bulb and oil.

Also said of the first powered flight a bit over 100 years ago.

When ever I read the words plane and New York, images of 9/11 flash through my mind. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Time move on, for me it is the below:

Incredible. I'm sure within the next 20 or 30 years this technology will have developed so much that commercial airliners will be able to utilise it, probably initially when they get to cruising altitude above all cloud cover. A solar cell of some form will also provide all the power that a typical dwelling will ever require and probably extend to commercial buildings.

Yes, anything is possible if you have no idea what you are talking about. All it would take is solar panels with 300+% efficiency coupled to perpetual motion engines. Flights would be daylight hours only, and once the right speed is achieved, those heading west would be non-stop. OTOH those heading east would have to relatively short duration. So from Hawaii to New York it would be quicker to go the long way round (ie via Africa).