The Gossamer Penguin was a solar-powered experimental aircraft created by Paul MacCready's AeroVironment.[1] MacCready, whose Gossamer Condor in 1977 won the Kremer prize for human-powered flight, told reporters in June, 1980 that "The first solar-powered flight ever made took place on May 18."[2] The testing ground was at Minter Field outside of Shafter, California.[2]
| Gossamer Penguin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Test flight of the Gossamer Penguin | |
| Role | experimental aircraft |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | AeroVironment |
| Designer | Paul MacCready |
| First flight | May 18, 1979 |
| Status | Sole example in possession of The Science Place Foundation[1] |
| Number built | 1 |
| Developed from | Gossamer Albatross |
| Developed into | Solar Challenger |
The Penguin was a three-quarter scale version of the Gossamer Albatross II; it had a 71-foot (22 m) wingspan and a weight, without pilot, of 68 pounds (31 kg). The propeller was driven by an AstroFlight Astro-40 electric motor, powered by a 541 watt solar panel, consisting of 3920 solar cells.[3]
Initial test flights were performed using a 28–cell, NiCad battery pack instead of a solar panel. The test pilot for these flights was MacCready's 13-year-old son Marshall, who weighed 80 lb (36 kg).
The official pilot for the project was Janice Brown, a charter pilot with commercial, instrument, and glider ratings who weighed slightly less than 100 lb (45 kg). She flew the Penguin approximately 40 times before a 1.95-mile (3.14 km) public demonstration flight at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on August 7, 1980.[4]
Specifications
Data from MacCready, Lissaman, Morgan, and Burke 1983[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Wingspan: 71 ft 0 in (21.64 m)
- Wing area: 297 sq ft (27.6 m2)
- Empty weight: 68 lb (30.8 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 28 x D type Nickel Cadmium (NiCad) cells or 3920 solar cells
- Powerplant: 1 × Astro-Flight Astro-40 double brush DC electric motor with 133:1 reduction
See also
Related development