On the Tarmac with Solar Impulse, the Solar Airplane

On Saturday, the 20th of April, an open house event was held for the Solar Impulse airplane at NASA’s Moffett Airfield in Mountain View, California. There were many people representing the Solar airplane who were speaking with a beautifully lyrical accent. One man was wearing a baseball cap that said Switzerland on it.

Solar Impulse Prepared for the 2013 Across America Mission

Credit: Michael Batori

We were allowed to walk out onto the tarmac and stand very close to the wing of the plane. A technical team was using a manlift to inspect the solar panels along the entire length of the wingspan. They were gauging the temperature of each panel. If a panel was found to be warmer than those it was neighboring, it was replaced.

The airplane is pure beauty and simply stunning. We were able to see it sitting in the sun after its morning flight. The aircraft had been scheduled to be inside the hangar so we were fortunate to see it outside. One person mentioned that she thought the plane looked like a dragonfly. It is very graceful and elegant looking. It has a wingspan of 208 feet (63.4 meters) and has 11,628 photovoltaic cells placed on the 2,200 square feet (200 m2) of wing area, according to wikipedia.org.

 Credit: Michael Batori

After the inspection was completed, a team of people rolled the plane sideways back into the hangar. As it was moving we could see that the mylar skin on the fuselage was shimmering with the movement. At that time we were able to go into the hangar and see the plane from a different angle. The team of people with Solar Impulse was very friendly. I spoke with one of the photography technicians and he asked me if I could be interviewed. That was fun.

 Credit: Michael Batori

There will be 2 to 3 more technical flights in the coming week. This is a requirement for the pilots Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg as they prepare for the kickoff of the 2013 Across America Mission.

We will be following the journey of Solar Impulse as they depart Moffett Airfield on their journey to New York’s JFK airport, and bring you all the exciting news!

By Amber Archangel

Sign up below or on our homepage for inspiration, knowledge & great news, a weekly clean energy newsletter but no pocket money.

FREE Click to Send Solar Lights to Families Who Need Them in Africa

Click Here to Help Save the Sea Ice for Polar Bear Families – It’s FREE!