{"id":6316,"date":"2019-01-24T11:09:24","date_gmt":"2019-01-24T10:09:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/solarstratos.diabolo.com\/2019\/01\/newsletter-033-fr\/"},"modified":"2021-04-16T15:55:06","modified_gmt":"2021-04-16T13:55:06","slug":"newsletter-033-en","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarstratos.com\/en\/2019\/01\/newsletter-033-en\/","title":{"rendered":"Our solar aircraft keeps evolving"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lighter wings<\/h3>\n

We\u2019ve learned a lot last year, and our project benefits from this knowledge. As a result, SolarStratos\u2019 wings will from now on be equipped with \u201cnew generation\u201d winglets, who will help save 10 kilos per wing! This will help reduce the consumption of energy, and therefore the number and volume of batteries needed. Our goal is always to be as light as possible, and the weight of the aircraft should not exceed 600 kg, including the pilot.<\/p>\n

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A wider scope<\/h3>\n

Thanks to its new wings, SolarStratos will gain two meters of wingspan, which is a fair percentage! The new winglets, 1 meter long each, are twice as long as they used to be. These transformations will allow the solar aircraft to gain in stability and performance. The new wing design will also ensure better airflow and reduce drag and therefore energy consumption.<\/p>\n

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Retractable landing gear<\/h3>\n

SolarStratos\u2019 current landing gear is fixed, but this is all about to change, thanks to our new retractable landing gear. This will reduce drag and improve the plane\u2019s performances.\u00a0 The retractable gear will also improve the speed and overall flying performances of the plane.<\/p>\n

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Update on our flight simulator<\/h3>\n

Much of our testing takes place onboard a flight simulator designed specifically for SolarStratos. Constantly updated in order to reflect the latest updates on the \u00ab\u00a0real\u00a0\u00bb plane, the flight simulator uses a software called X-Plane, making it possible, for example, to continuously calculate the aerodynamic behavior of the aircraft. It helps our pilot to learn to fly this unique airplane and take the right decisions whilst flying \u00ab\u00a0for real\u00a0\u00bb.<\/p>\n

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Nobel Prize in Chemistry visits SolarStratos<\/h3>\n

Professor Jacques Dubochet, 2017 Nobel Prize in chemistry, visited our base and spent an interesting time with our team members in Payerne.<\/p>\n

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