A big country of aerospace with black technology

"The drone is ready to take off, please give instructions from the tower."

On the empty airport runway, a strange-looking plane was waiting to take off.

Its wingspan exceeds that of a jumbo jet, reaching 52 meters!

But it has a short body, no more than ten meters in length.

On the wavy back are curved, flexible solar panels.

Using a very traditional propeller engine, six oversized propellers are arranged in threes and threes on both sides of the wing.

"Permission to take off!"

Zhang Xingyang's calm voice sounded on the intercom.

The ground controller started the electric motor inside the cabin via radio.

The high-performance lithium battery begins to power the electric motor, driving the propeller to rotate at high speed.

The drone looks large, but its speed is not very fast.

It taxied for more than 2,500 meters on the runway before slowly rising from the ground.

"The first step seems to have been successful."

As a visiting guest, Qin Yue breathed a sigh of relief and said with a little excitement.

"This just proves that there is nothing wrong with the design of the drone itself."

Zhang Xingyang was quite calm:

“The success of high-altitude solar-powered drones cannot yet be explained.”

"To prove that it is really successful, we have to wait until it completes its flight around the world!"

As the world's first high-altitude solar drone that has been put into the experimental verification stage.

Zhang Xingyang had high hopes for it, and even formulated an experimental plan that seemed slightly crazy to others.

We want this drone to fly autonomously around the earth without landing!

Even developers who have more contact with this drone on weekdays have some concerns about it.

Of course, different people have different worries.

People who don’t know much about it are worried about whether drones can fly without interruption.

After all, solar power can only be generated during the day, and the power in the battery is consumed at night.

If the two cannot achieve a balance, it will be difficult for the drone to continue flying for more than 24 hours.

Researchers who know more deeply are worried about another thing.

They are not worried about the performance of solar drones, but are worried about other impacts.

Although the flight altitude of drones is 30 kilometers, the airspace altitude of most countries is beyond this.

However, there are still some countries that have divided their airspace altitude above 30 kilometers.

If their drones fly through their airspace, it may cause a lot of disputes.

"The drone signal has been received and is flying along the designated route!"

The operator on the side said after the drone took off.

"How powerful is the solar power?"

Zhang Xingyang asked while looking at the screen displaying various data.

This question was actually asked to the person next to him. Zhang Xingyang could tell the current power generation power of the drone at just a glance.

"The current power generation is 275W."

For a solar-powered drone, this power basically meets the energy required for 24-hour cruising.

It can even satisfy some equipment carried on the drone and maintain high-power operation.

"Although the power generation can now meet the requirements, it is noon, when the sun is strongest."

Zhang Xingyang is still not completely relieved:

"The current solar illumination power cannot represent the average level during the day."

"Perhaps the overall average power during the day is less than 250W."

Zhang Xingyang has high expectations for high-altitude solar drones.

So relatively speaking, there are more worries.

Others feel that the current performance alone is considered a success of the project.

Especially Qin Yue, as the representative of the government, has a hard time understanding Zhang Xingyang's concerns.

"Professor Zhang, haven't we succeeded now?"

"There's nothing to worry about."

For Qin Yue, if the drone can take off and generate electricity, it is a success.

They can report high-altitude solar drones as this year's scientific and technological achievements in their annual reports.

You can even apply for provincial or even national science and technology awards.

This is the major difference brought about by the difference in perspective between the two parties.

Qin Yue and the others still pay more attention to the impact of drones as a high-tech achievement.

The research institute, or Zhang Xingyang, pays more attention to the performance of the drone itself.

In his eyes, the most critical thing about drones is their power generation performance.

As a flying platform, a drone is nothing at all.

Because in the future, high-altitude power generation will still rely on large satellites flying in space.

High-altitude solar-powered drones are mostly used as communication relays, optical reconnaissance and other functions.

"Maybe it seems to you that it has been successful, but in my opinion, this is only the first step towards success."

Zhang Xingyang raised his head from the data on the screen and said.

“If the drone can successfully fly around the world, that to me will be part of the success.”

The differences between the two sides are really quite big.

Fortunately, Qin Yue and the others do not really want to interfere with the operation of the institute.

Ultimately, they want a name to attract more high-quality talents to the local area.

Ignoring Qin Yue and others who were discussing quietly behind their backs.

Zhang Xingyang devoted his attention to the flight of the drone.

Although the flying altitude of drones is 30 kilometers, ordinary civil aviation airliners and fighter jets cannot fly to this altitude.

However, before the experiment, a special route was still applied to the management department.

After the drone took off, it flew eastward.

For more than a thousand kilometers on the mainland, there are basically no accidents.

The speed of the drone is not very fast, only 500 kilometers per hour.

It is not as good as fighter jets and other military aircraft, and it is still far away from civilian airliners.

However, it does not consume much energy, and this speed can be accepted by people.

The airflow in the stratosphere is extremely stable, with almost no vertical airflow.

This is also an important reason why this drone, which is as simple as the time of the Wright brothers, can fly thousands of miles safely.

If you are flying in the troposphere, where the airflow conditions are more complex, it will be difficult for the airframe structure to persist in completing the flight.

"The current power generation still remains at around 270W."

The operator said very happily.

After more than two hours of flight, the drone just entered the sky over the Yellow Sea.

At this time, the sunlight was not as strong as when we first took off, but the power generation did not drop too much.

"It seems that our photovoltaic panels are really good!"

Zhang Xingyang also said excitedly.

Now the drone is expected to be less than two hours away from receiving light.

In fact, it was 12:30 local noon when the drone took off.

The flight lasted more than two hours, and it was only just three o'clock.

But take into consideration that the further east you fly, the later it will be.

Every more than 1,600 kilometers, there is a time difference of one hour!

Moreover, it is March, and the direct point of the sun is still near the equator.

The drone flies north of the Tropic of Cancer and does not receive sunlight before six o'clock every day.

The next test of drones will be unprecedentedly intense.

It almost spans the entire Pacific Ocean!

On this vast sea area of ​​more than 10,000 kilometers, neither the Dragon Kingdom nor the institute has much influence.

There was an accident with the drone, and the drone couldn't even be recovered.

Time passed by, and it was four o'clock in the afternoon local time.

The drone has flown into the dark night, and the flexible solar panels cannot generate electricity.

Now it can only rely on the internal lithium battery pack for power.

"The drone has entered the dark zone."

The operator said while looking at the information sent back by Beidou navigation and positioning.

Beidou now covers almost all areas of the northern hemisphere.

Therefore, high-altitude solar-powered drones can also use Beidou satellites for positioning.

"Currently running at 72W."

Some non-essential equipment on the drone has been shut down at this time.

As an energy source to maintain 24-hour uninterrupted flight, electricity is almost always saved at night.

Otherwise, it is difficult to say whether we can persist until the drone sees the sun the next day!

"Judging from the current operating status, we can at least continue to fly to America!"

Zhang Xingyang said while looking at the data in the data table that had not changed much.

"It will take more than twenty hours to fly across the Pacific Ocean."

After Zhang Xingyang read the data, he stood up and said to everyone in the control room:

"Everyone arranges the duty time, divides it into three shifts, and monitors the operating status of the drone 24 hours a day."

This matter was actually arranged before the experiment.

Zhang Xingyang was just determined at this time and officially started the 24-hour duty system.

High-altitude solar-powered drones need to fly south along the coastline before flying across the Pacific Ocean, and finally enter the Atlantic Ocean from the southern end.

This journey will take at least several days.

The 24-hour duty must be carried out in three shifts.

"Professor Zhang, after the success of high-altitude solar drones, is it time to start wireless power transmission?"

After Zhang Xingyang finished speaking, Qin Yue walked up and whispered in his ear.

"We are still conducting ground tests for wireless power transmission, and it will take a little time before it enters the practical stage."

Zhang Xingyang looked back at the other party and said.

The difficulty of wireless power transmission is far greater than the difficulty of developing high-altitude solar drones.

Even if Zhang Xingyang has proposed a clear technical route, a lot of research and development work still needs to be carried out.

Especially as wireless transmission distance increases.

The difficulty rises almost straight up.

The difficulty of 10-meter wireless power transmission and 100-meter wireless power transmission has increased by an order of magnitude.

The difficulty of 100-meter wireless power transmission and 1,000-meter wireless power transmission has increased by two orders of magnitude.

At present, the research on wireless power transmission at the thousand-meter level in Bishan is still struggling on the wireless power transmission at the 100-meter level.

"Professor Zhang, you might as well tell me how long it will take to achieve kilometer-level wireless power transmission."

Qin Yue asked simply at this time.

“Hundred-meter-level wireless power transmission can be developed within two to three years.”

Zhang Xingyang thought for a while and then replied:

“Kilometer-level wireless power transmission is ideally estimated to take about ten years.”

This level of high technology requires ten years to complete research and development work.

In Zhang Xingyang's opinion, it was relatively fast.

If Zhang Xingyang had not pointed out and solved many of the key difficulties, it would not have been possible to solve the problem of kilometer-level wireless power transmission for at least thirty years.

"Is this time too long?" Qin Yue was silent for a while and then asked.

Zhang Xingyang naturally saw what was going on in her mind.

Ten years may not be a long time for research and development.

But for those who pursue political achievements, it is a bit too long, and it is uncertain whether she will still be there by then.

But Zhang Xingyang also had an indifferent attitude.

After all, this project was actually begged by the local government to a large extent.

Originally, the development of such technology could be completed relying on the institute's own funds and technical strength.

"If you think it's too long, you can withdraw your investment."

After Zhang Xingyang said such words nonchalantly, he began to look at the data on the screen again.

High-altitude solar-powered drones fly in the stratosphere, and the ocean environment has little impact on them.

However, everyone is still a little worried.

Qin Yue glanced at everyone present, and then left the control room in slight silence.

Six hours after taking off, the high-altitude solar-powered drone flew over the East China Sea.

Fly over the edge of the Pacific Ocean, from the edge of Ryukyu, into the widest sea area in the world!

It has officially entered the vast Pacific Ocean. After flying thousands of miles, it will no longer have a place to stay.

With three shifts, time passed quickly.

Zhang Xingyang only slept less than 4 hours in the past twenty hours.

But he was still young after all, so even staying up late didn't have much impact on his work.

"The drone is about to fly out of the Pacific Ocean."

During the nearly thirty hours of flight, the drone rarely changed direction.

Most of the time, it flies in one direction.

"The steering procedure is ready!"

Along with the instructions, they are transmitted to the drone control chip tens of thousands of miles away through low-orbit communication satellites in space.

The steering rudder at the tail of the aircraft began to deflect under the control of the internal motor.

The drone still flew south along the coastline.

It flew almost all the way along the continent's coastline for thousands of kilometers.

The drone entered the South Atlantic from the Strait of Magellan.

During this time, drones will be flying in the south of the earth.

In a very short period of time, they successively crossed the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans.

The drone then crossed the Cape of Good Hope and entered the Indian Ocean, and then slowly crossed the equator and headed north.

Then it will fly the last distance above the third brother's house.

At this point, the drone is only a short distance away from completing its round-the-world flight.

The high-altitude solar-powered drone will go directly north from the ocean, cross the highest peak in the world, and arrive at its take-off point from the snowy plateau.

At this point, only a week has passed since it took off!