Italy is preparing for the maiden flight of another solar plane, the Sunseeker
"As we wish Andre and Bertrand favorable winds on their adventure, we prepare our new airplane, Sunseeker Duo for its maiden flight in Italy.
Solar Flight is preparing to test fly a new airplane in the Sunseeker family: Sunseeker Duo. The goal is to acheive maximum performance without using fossil fuels. Not only will the Duo be the fastest solar-powered airplane ever built; it will be the first solar powered airplane to offer a seat for passengers. The Duo incorporates all of the best features of the other Sunseeker aircraft and adds many refinements, not to mention significantly improved technologies. The solar cells used by the Duo are better than 50% more efficient than those used by Sunseeker II. While Sunseeker II is able to cruise in level flight on direct solar power, the Duo will have enough power to maintain a steady climb on direct solar power. The tricycle landing gear arrangement, familiar to all pilots, ensures that the Duo will operate normally at any airport in the world and folding wings give the airplane a hanger footprint no larger than a Cessna 172. The airplane can also be quickly disassembled and packed into a custom trailer.
The Sunseeker Duo realizes Solar Flight’s dream of a practical, high performance, 2-place solar powered airplane. With the US and Western Europe already well explored by Sunseekers I and II, Solar Flight is looking towards the dramatic landscapes of Eastern Europe and Western Asia for possible expeditions with the new airplane. Whether it is a day of local flying above the clouds, or a trans-continental adventure, Solar Flight is a new paradigm for aviation: adventure, freed from the constraints of fossil fuels."
Solar Flight