Zero-fuel plane makes forced Japan landing

C2-2015-unit13-B-ソーラー飛行機
Solar Impulse: Zero-fuel plane makes forced Japan landing
Solar Impulse, the zero-fuel aeroplane, has landed in Japan after being
forced to abort a Pacific crossing due to deteriorating weather ahead of it.
1) The aircraft, which set off from China on Saturday local time, had hoped to reach
Hawaii by the end of the week. But a developing cold front over the ocean is blocking
its path and pilot Andre Borschberg has decided to play safe by putting down in Nagoya.
2) He will now wait in Japan for a new weather opportunity to present itself. Solar Impulse is attempting to make
the first circumnavigation of the globe by an aeroplane powered only by the sun.
3) The 17,000 photovoltaic cells on its wings drive propellers during the day but also charge batteries that
sustain flight during the night.
4) The China-Hawaii stint was to be the seventh leg in the quest that began back in March from Abu Dhabi, UAE.
5) Mr Borschberg brought Solar Impulse into Nagoya airfield at 23:49 local time (14:49 GMT). A line of brilliant
LEDs on the front edge of the plane's wings announced his approach to the runway.
6) Because Japan was never a scheduled stop, the project has had to scramble to get its ground crew and
equipment to the airport to meet the vehicle. This saw the Swiss adventurer having to circle above Nagoya while
preparations were made beneath him.
7) Solar Impulse will now be tied down and protected from the elements in a mobile hangar while meteorologists
and flight strategists look for a new possibility to cross the Pacific.
8) Flying the more than 8,000km from Nanjing in China to Kalaeloa in Hawaii was always considered the big
test in the round-the-world flight.
9) Bertrand Piccard, who has shared the pilot duties in the single-seater plane over the past three months, told
BBC News: "When we started a project like this one, we knew it would not be easy. If it was easy, somebody else
would have done it before.
10) "When we took off from China two days ago, we thought we could go through the front and reach Hawaii.
Now, we see the front has closed. It's active. There's rain, there's icing - everything that's dangerous for our
aircraft. So we've decided to stop in Nagoya and wait for better weather to continue."
11) Although disappointed at having being forced to make a stopover, the team is nonetheless delighted with the
performance of its aircraft.
12) Just the journey from Nanjing has covered more than 2,850km - a new distance world record for a manned
solar-powered plane. The time in the air, also, 44 hours, is a record in the same aviation class.
13) And in completing a full day-night cycle on Sunday into Monday, Solar Impulse has proven its credentials as
an "eternal plane". That is, given the right weather conditions, the vehicle has the ability to stay aloft indefinitely
(even if that is not a practical option for the pilot).
14) Quite when the aeroplane will now get to go to Hawaii is anyone's guess at the moment. It is unlikely to get a
chance before next week. Mr Borschberg will need some time to rest, as will his ground crew.
15) But there is some urgency in that further delays have an impact on later stages of the circumnavigation.
16) Ideally, the team needs to cross America, and then the Atlantic, before the hurricane season starts to peak in
August.【1 June 2015／BBC／by Jonathan Amos】
abort：流産する、未完で終わる circumnavigation：世界一周 photovoltaic cell：光起動力セル、太陽電池(solar cell) stint：一定の期間、一定期間
の仕事 leg：行程 scramble：急いで～する ground crew：
（飛行機場の）地上整備員 the elements：自然の力 hangar：
（航空機の）格納庫
meteorologist：気象学者 stopover：途中下車 manned：
（乗り物が）有人の credentials：適格、信用証明書 eternal：永久の stay aloft：空中にと
どまる indefinitely：無期限に anyone's guess：
〔どのような結果になるのか〕予測困難なこと、誰にも分からないこと
☆Ice breaker for active discussion☆
☆
1. What do you know about Solar Impulse? How is the plane different from ordinary planes?
2. What do you think is the purpose of this project?
3. Are you familiar with any other projects using solar power? How about products that operates with solar energy?
4. There are many adventurers who try to do something unparalleled. How do you value their spirit of adventure?
5. Can you name any adventurer who had a significant achievement?
太陽光発電だけで世界一周飛行に挑む一人乗
6. If you could go on an adventure, what kind of adventure would you do?
りのプロペラ機「ソーラー・インパルス 2」。
7. Make sentences using the following words: circumnavigation, abort, scramble, カーボンファイバー製で 2300 キロ。最高速度
the elements, stopover, manned, stay aloft and anyone's guess.
は時速 140 キロ。1999 年に気球による無着陸
NEWS de TALK by PHILOS
世界一周を達成したスイス人の冒険家で精神
科医のベルトラン・ピカール氏が提唱した。予
算約 190 億円は民間企業からの出資やスイス
の大学の技術支援を受けている。