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Sun powered aircraft designTwo piloted aircraft have been developed and flown powered solely by photovoltaic cells in a program sponsored by the DuPont Company. The 30.8-kg (68-lb), 21.6-m (71-ft) span, Gossamer Penguin was used as a solar test bed, making a 2.6-km (1.6-mile) flight in August 1980. The 88.1-kg (194-lb), 14.3-m (47-ft) span Solar Challenger was developed for long flights in normal turbulence. Stressed to +9 G, it utilizes Kevlar, Nomex honeycomb-graphite sandwich wall tubes, expanded polystyrene foam ribs, and Mylar skin. With a 54.9-kg (121-lb) airframe, 33.1-kg (73-lb) propulsion system, and a 45.4-kg (100-lb) pilot, it flies on 1400 watts. In summer, the projected maximum climb is 1.0 m/s (200 ft/min) at 9,150 m (30,000 ft). Sixty purely solar-powered flights were made during winter 1980-1981. Using thermals, 1,070 m (3,500 ft) was reached with 115-minute duration.
Document ID
19810048528
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Maccready, P. B.
(AeroVironment, Inc. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Lissaman, P. B. S.
(AeroVironment, Inc. Pasadena, Calif., United States)
Morgan, W. R.
(AeroVironment, Inc. Sun Valley, Calif., United States)
Burke, J. D.
(California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena Calif., United States)
Date Acquired
August 11, 2013
Publication Date
May 1, 1981
Subject Category
Aircraft Design, Testing And Performance
Report/Patent Number
AIAA PAPER 81-0916
Meeting Information
Meeting: Annual Meeting and Technical Display on Frontiers of Achievement
Location: Long Beach, CA
Start Date: May 12, 1981
End Date: May 14, 1981
Sponsors: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Accession Number
81A32932
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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