Solar Flight Sunseeker II
Solar Flight · United States · first flew 2002 · light aircraft
The Sunseeker II is a single-seat solar-electric motor glider designed by Eric Raymond, notable for completing a solar-powered crossing of the United States and a transatlantic crossing.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × electric, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | ultra-lightweight glider-like fuselage pod |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- extremely long high-aspect-ratio wings covered in solar cells
- single pusher propeller at tail
- ultra-lightweight glider-like fuselage pod
Wings of extreme span-to-chord ratio entirely covered with monocrystalline silicon solar cells; single pusher prop on centreline; pencil-thin glider fuselage; fixed tricycle undercarriage.
Specifications
- The Solar Flight Sunseeker II has a length of 7.3 m (24 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 22 m (72 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 110 km/h (68 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Eric Raymond built the original Sunseeker in the late 1980s and used it for the first solar-powered crossing of the United States in 1990. The Sunseeker II, substantially redesigned with improved solar cells and a higher-efficiency drivetrain, first flew in 2002 and later became the first solar-powered aircraft to cross the Atlantic Ocean in 2013, a flight covering some 4,060 km from the Canary Islands to Tarragona, Spain.
Variants
Sunseeker I (original, 1990 US crossing); Sunseeker II (2002, transatlantic); Sunseeker Duo (two-seat development).
Where you'll see it
Private experimental aircraft; used for solar aviation record attempts and advocacy rather than commercial operation.
Related aircraft
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