I've heard of solar power technologies in architecture, heating systems and lighting, but never a solar-powered airplane!

The SolarImpulse is a conceptual idea from a team of experts at ALTRAN for an aircraft with solar captors in the propellers. The SolarImpulse will have a wingspan of just 80 meters to offer more surface area for the solar cells. The aircraft will weigh only 2 tons, and lithium batteries in the wings will need to produce enough energy for flight.

Due to weight constrictions, the cockpit will hold 1 pilot. The energy gathered through the day (about 8 hours of usable light) will not only serve to power the wings, but also to recharge the batteries for flying at night. And here's a cool tidbit from the Web site: "The average power the motors receive from the sun over a 24-hour period (12 CV) is practically equal to the amount available to the Wright brothers in 1903, when they made the first ever flight known to man!"

This concept was first developed in 2004, but only yesterday did ALTRAN announce its partnership with Omega, the Swiss Watch manufacturer, to aid in the finance of the project. The design and manufacturing of the SolarImpulse is taking place as we speak, and a test flight with the prototype is aimed for 2008-2009.

If all goes well, expect the construction of the final solar-powered aircraft in 2009-2010, in which it will cross the Atlantic and tour the world in May 2011.

For more on the SolarImpulse, check out the Web site or LuxuryLaunches.com's report.