Could solar powered passenger planes replace Zeppelin type air ships in the future ?

It really is time we laid to bed this common internet wail “The oil companies are against anything that will reduce dependence on oil – The big pharma companies have discovered a cure for cancer but don’t want anyone to know as they make too much money from existing drugs – The razor blade companies know how to produce a blade that stays permanently sharp but have bought the patents and locked them away”

Make no mistake about it, the oil companies are already working hard on their diversification against the time the oil runs short.

Moggy

Oh i agree BUT i doubt very much they are going to put their foot down to make it happen sooner than it needs or before they have something else in place.

To my knowledge none of the big oil companies has been exclusively involved in oil exploration and development for many years.

… and the oil and fuel companies are going to be very anti this type of development.

It really is time we laid to bed this common internet wail “The oil companies are against anything that will reduce dependence on oil – The big pharma companies have discovered a cure for cancer but don’t want anyone to know as they make too much money from existing drugs – The razor blade companies know how to produce a blade that stays permanently sharp but have bought the patents and locked them away”

Make no mistake about it, the oil companies are already working hard on their diversification against the time the oil runs short.

Moggy

I suspect Topspeed will either become a very rich or any good ideas will be pinched.
I suspect without reading every single post that things are being thought of BUT money talks and the oil and fuel companies are going to be very anti this type of development.

Let’s move this fantasy thread to general discussion, where it will find a more appropriate place.

Topspeed, I really hope most of your posts in this thread are tongue in cheek..

from post # 17 ;

You might want to start drinking your Vodka per bottle, instead of drinking it per crate. 😉

Sincerely, Etienne

I redrew the mother ship with 130 m spanning and 50 000 mtow to carry a tad bigger space ship into orbit.

BTW: Which Star Wars caracter are you ?

I was Obi-Wan.

http://www.zimbio.com/quiz/Ukldm8Pi5Ub/Star+Wars+Character/result/2nWJJiPNR1D

After some further converstions at two space flight site I have this for you;

I’ll do some math for you.

L=½pv^2ACl = > ½x0.0000009kg/m3x38098384x1290x3 = 66348 N ….witch means an object with cl3 flying at 140 km can weigh 6635 kilos ( with 1290 m2 wing area )…now check the centrifugal force in 140km….

12 700 kg (weight with empty fuel in Solar Eagle at 140 km) x a ( a= v^2/r ) = 12700×5.7 = 72843 N …..that means that the plane is forced into orbit with force of 72843 N ie 7284 kg can be reduced from the weight of 12700…so Solar Eagle with Star Eagle are still cimbing at 140 km !

The Solar Eagle can theoretically fly really near the LEO at 160 km altitude…making the space flite very economical since carrying a space ship capable to moon landing at 1/240th of the fuel used in APOLLO 11.

Tuned specs for weight and power here.

This sounds a bit strange…but I calculated that the ship has enough wing area and thrust when carrying a space craft with a rocket engine after flying to 25 km with solar power that it could hit 17 000 km/h at 120 km altitude.

Compared to Apollo mission it would save rocket fuel 11900 barrels per flight.

http://quotes.wsj.com/FUEL

Here is some math to prove that a carrier can lift 17000 kg to 80 km.

——-

Here is how to define the speed of 8000 km/h for the craft at 80 km; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%A1rm%C3%A1n_line

Take lift equation… ½ x p x v^2 x A x Cl = 0,5 x 0.0001846 kg/m3 x 4937777 m/s x 1200 m2 x 0,5 = 273454 N = ~27000 kg ( 1 % less gravity )

It says 27 000 kg ship doing 8000 km/h with 1200 m2 wing area stays airborne at 80 km when Cl is 0,5 !

Air densities; http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/standard-atmosphere-d_604.html

Phobos looks really cool; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phobos_(moon)

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It takes at 200 000 km/h speed 22,3 days to get there.

Here is how to get a man on the Jupiter moon..Europa for instance.

Errr…make it MARS MOON Phobos !

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutan_Voyager ( check the loaded unloaded on Voyager ) !

Here is how to get a man on the Jupiter moon..Europa for instance.

I have actually been working on these for 7 years and 8 years in 1/2014..to be presice.

Earlier version of the GEKKO aka NorthStar enclosed. NS1 was like a quarter scale of the present 180 seater version….and very primitive I must say.

I expressed 2011 that the Gekko high flying solar passenger ship could carry a space vessel as well.

Let me get this straight. You went from a solar powered plane that folds down to about twice the size of a two-seater Smart car, to a practical interplanetary vessel. And all it took was 16 posts / 2 weeks.

You might want to start drinking your Vodka per bottle, instead of drinking it per crate. 😉

I realized that if you launch a space ship from a mother ship in FL800 going 4000 km/h you dont have to have the space ship to be extremely aerodynamical since the MS is doing only 150 km/h IAS.

I counted the ship could reach Jupiter’s Europa moon in just 2.4 days. 1/100th of the light speed ( c ) is an enormous speed. It is 10.8 million kilometres per hour ! Hope I got my numbers correct.

http://www.universetoday.com/14514/how-far-is-jupiter-from-earth/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_light

I just found out that Rice University has 30% efficient multilayer FILM THIN cells dveloped when I found this…80% efficient !

http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/1329/

See also this…50% efficiency about to be reached.

http://www.gizmag.com/nrl-solar-cell-50-percent-conversion/25826/

I checked that plane could reach 1200 km/h speed at 20 km/ FL650 and mach 3 at FL750

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/weather/wstdatmo.htm

Commercial moon flights could be possible pretty soon at very low price !

I just found out that Rice University has 30% efficient multilayer FILM THIN cells developed when I found this…80% efficient !

http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/1329/

This is going to blow your mind !

AT FL750 the air is 1/30 thick compared to sea level and thus indicated air speed ( IAS ) 40 km/h there is 1200 km/h in TAS !

So if you leave from London to NY you’ll arrive 30 minutes before you left..and can fly at mid day at highest solar peak power !

Merry Christmas !