First Glide Tests Had Been Performed On Wright Brothers Anniversary Last Year

The Sunseeker Duo solar-powered airplane made its first powered flights Wednesday. The progression to powered flights followed un-powered flights that began on December 17, 2013 ... the anniversary of the Wright Brothers' first flight at Kitty Hawk, NC... at Solar Flight’s test facility in Voghera, Italy.

On their blog, Solar Flight said that they have been making adjustments to the airplane over the past four months. During the unpowered flights, there was some instability in pitch noted by the test pilot. To correct the problem, they increased the size of the horizontal stabilizer and added solar cells to the airfoil. "Now the airplane is docile with good control authority in the air and on the ground," the site reports.

The team also looked at the performance of the battery system, motor, propeller, and landing gear retraction systems, and made improvements in each category, according to the site. Solar Flight reports that the airplane now "has enough excess power to carry a passenger and baggage."

(Image from Solar Flight YouTube video)

FMI: www.solar-flight.com