One week after the wing spars were delivered to our Dübendorf hangar, we have finished assembling the 3 parts and can now (for the first time) contemplate the wing with its full 61 metre span!
One week after the wing spars were delivered to our Dübendorf hangar, we have finished assembling the 3 parts and can now (for the first time) contemplate the wing with its full 61 metre ...
One week after the wing spars were delivered to our Dübendorf hangar, we have finished assembling the 3 parts and can now (for the first time) contemplate the wing with its full 61 metre span! With the initial shock now past, I have to admit that we are already accustomed to this carbon structure invading our hangar, and are nearly used to its extraordinary dimensions.
Within a few days we will have fixed this wing to the cockpit, itself already attached to the fuselage and rear stabilizer. We will then have before us the first skeleton aircraft and be able to start extensive vibration testing, which I will be telling you about shortly.
Of course everyone would like to shed a few kilos, but for the team this has become a major obsession! One of the main challenges of this project is to reach our weight objectives.
The heavier the aircraft and the pilot, the more energy will be needed to keep them flying. So are hunting down the very last gram.
An aircraft's wing loading is calculating by dividing ...
The heavier the aircraft and the pilot, the more energy will be needed to keep them flying. So are hunting down the very last gram.
An aircraft's wing loading is calculating by dividing its total weight by the wing surface. With the amount of solar energy captured by our 200 m² of solar cells we cannot afford a wing loading of more than 8 kg/m². Which is precisely that of a seagull.
You could say we are looking to fly on board a seagull with the wingspan of a Boeing 747. And yes, we're in our right minds.
As you can see from the video gallery, the HB SIA's carbon composite structure is slowly coming together, like a finely engineered Swiss watch, piece by piece, test by test. The fuselage has passed muster, but a few days ago the landing gear failed to make it.
The next big moment everyone is waiting for is in a week's time, when we receive and can finally test the main wing beams. Let's hope they carry no hidden kilos! A seagull's life is a hard one.