MacCready Solar Challenger
AeroVironment · United States · first flew 1980 · light aircraft
The Solar Challenger was a solar-powered aircraft designed by Paul MacCready's AeroVironment, and was the first such craft capable of long-distance flight.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × electric, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8.8 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Flat-topped wing and large horizontal stabiliser covered in solar cells
- Single controllable-pitch propeller driven by two motors on a common shaft
- Very light airframe of Kevlar, Nomex and Mylar
A light solar-electric aircraft whose flat wing and large stabiliser carry 16,128 solar cells.
Specifications
- The MacCready Solar Challenger has a length of 8.8 m (29 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 14.3 m (47 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 64 km/h (40 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was designed as an improvement on the Gossamer Penguin and first flew on 6 November 1980. It was powered entirely by photovoltaic cells on its wing and stabiliser, without reserve batteries.
Variants
Only one example was ever built.
Where you'll see it
On 7 July 1981 it flew 163 miles from Pontoise-Cormeilles near Paris to Manston in England, staying aloft 5 hours 23 minutes with pilot Stephen Ptacek. It is owned by the Smithsonian Institution.
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