Solar-Powered Aircraft Developments Solar One
Solar-Powered Aircraft Developments · United Kingdom · first flew 1979 · light aircraft
The Solar One was a British experimental crewed solar-powered aircraft designed by David Williams and built by Solar-Powered Aircraft Developments under Freddie To.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 4 × electric, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 6.71 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Long, slender wing of 20.7 m span and aspect ratio 17.8
- Nose-mounted pod holding four electric motors driving one two-bladed propeller
- Wooden frame covered with heat-shrunk film
Look for a very long, slender-winged, light film-covered aircraft with a nose pod and a single two-bladed propeller.
Specifications
- The Solar-Powered Aircraft Developments Solar One has a length of 6.71 m (22 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 20.73 m (68 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 78 km/h (48 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It began as a human-powered aircraft project but at 104 kg proved too heavy for human power, so it was converted to solar power. A first attempt on 19 December 1978 achieved only a short hop; on 13 June 1979, flown by Ken Stewart, it made a flight of just under 1.2 km.
Variants
Only one was built. It had four 1 hp Bosch motors in a nose pod, fed by a nickel-cadmium battery pack charged from 750 solar cells.
Where you'll see it
It was one of the first solar-powered aircraft to fly and the first successful British one. A second flight on the day by Bill Maidment reached 78 km/h, and a planned Channel crossing was abandoned when it did not meet its endurance targets.
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