Skolkovo Says To Present E-Plane Prototype For Non-Stop Round-the-World Flight On Thursday

Umer Jamshaid Published October 22, 2018 | 08:13 PM

Russian explorer Fyodor Konyukhov and the Skolkovo Foundation will present a prototype of an electric aircraft intended for the world's first non-stop around-the-world flight with the use of an electric plane at Skolkovo Technopark, Moscow, on Thursday, the foundation said in a press release on Monday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd October, 2018) Russian explorer Fyodor Konyukhov and the Skolkovo Foundation will present a prototype of an electric aircraft intended for the world's first non-stop around-the-world flight with the use of an electric plane at Skolkovo Technopark, Moscow, on Thursday, the foundation said in a press release on Monday.

"The project's manager Mikhail Lifshitz and Russian traveler Fyodor Konyukhov will present an aircraft-labaratory, equipped with the Russian flexible solar panels. During the laboratory's working flights in Russia's different climate zones all the data on the work of the solar panels will be summarized and analyzed. Based on this information, an aircraft capable of conducting a non-stop flight will be created," the press release said.

According to the project's official website, the maximum speed of the aircraft-labaratory will total 259 kilometers per hour (161 miles per hour), with the plane's gross takeoff weight amounting to 900 kilograms (1,984) Pounds.

The aircraft is equipped with solar panels, whose energy conversion efficiency exceeds 22 percent.

The plane for the round-the-world flight itself will be larger. The non-stop flight is expected to be carried out at the height of 12-14 kilometers, with an average speed of 210 kilometers per hour. Konyukhov is due to travel a distance of 35,000 kilometers in 150 hours. The traveler will be flying over the territories of Australia, Argentine, Brazil, China, New Zealand and South Africa, with the largest part of the flight being conducted over the waters of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans.

It is planned that the flight will be carried out in 2020.