by RegGuheert (Posted Wed, 07 Feb 2018 00:34:44 GMT+7)
As you know, we agree on that point:GRA wrote:All of the above is correct, and makes my essential point. An a/c that can only fly downwind owing to limited speed and range and with accurate multi-day forecasts of ideal weather owing to limited strength isn't much practical use. At the current stage of development, there is no chance of this being a practical means of transportation, because the a/c is simply too limited by strength, endurance and speed to develop further. All of this could be calculated on the ground.
RegGuheert on July 24, 2016 wrote:While I find that some of the flight-endurance records set were impressive, I don't feel this was a very positive demonstration of the many benefits of Solar power. Simply put, Solar-powered flight may have some interesting applications in reconnaissance or as telecommunications relays, but I doubt that it will ever make much sense for transporting people or cargo around the globe. Of course, time will tell.