In 2021, CREATeV Will Attempt To Set The FAI Record For Longest Unmanned Flight

On Thursday, November 12, 2020, the CREATeV solar-powered airplane flew nonstop for over 10 hours.

After taking off at 9:11 am, the aircraft circled over the field of Canada's York Soaring Association for over 10 hours. The landing went well despite being two hours after sunset. This flight was a major milestone in a quest to break the world flight endurance record.

The goal of the CREATeV project is to develop an ultra-long endurance solar powered aircraft capable of sustaining flight for 60 days continuously. The major challenge with sustaining multi-day flights is the ability to cruise through an entire night on battery power, without the ability to recharge the batteries from solar power.

In the summer of 2021, CREATeV will attempt to set the FAI record for longest unmanned flight, currently set at 26 days.

CREATeV has a maximum endurance of 12 hours on battery power, allowing it to sustain flight overnight in the summer months. During daylight hours, the aircraft will recharge its batteries using the 96 solar cells mounted to the wing surface. The aircraft has a 6.28 meter wingspan, with a maximum take-off weight of approximately 12.5 kilograms and is constructed primarily of carbon fibre/fibreglass laminates for their light weight and high strength.

The CREATeV project is comprised of a team of graduate students from Ryerson University’s Department of Aerospace Engineering. With expertise in aircraft design and manufacturing, we have been able to take the project from concept to reality in the last 2 years.

FMI: http://createv.ca/