Our Solar Impulse engineers gave some incredibly good news last week when they announced that Decision, our key supplier of large carbon parts, completed the second airplane’s new wing spar.

In July 2012, during the final structural test of the wing spar, the central part succumbed to the load and broke. This was a vivid reminder that pushing the limits is no easy task and that sometimes, when you’re right on that thin border, you may fall overboard. However, what might have been dramatic in July last year has become an advantage today; the construction delay of HB-SIB brought many new and exciting opportunities such as this year’s Across America mission.

The wing spar is pretty much the solar airplane’s backbone and most important part. It’s the central structure of the wings and, in Solar Impulse’s second generation airplane, it is much larger for a plane meant to fly faster. Consequently, the wings will be subject to more loads by a factor of two. During last year’s failure only the central part of the spar broke and, after thorough testing, the two outer sections of the spar were spared. Nevertheless, the entire spar was rebuilt for consistency reasons, a process that took 10 months, as the design and the production process have since improved. The leftover outboard sections will be kept as a backup.

The wing spar looks like a long rectangular box. It’s fully made out of carbon and it’s glued – or bonded, as the engineers say - together via a very special chemical process, including 20 curing cycles, in a gigantic oven. It takes 64 minutes to bond the parts together and 88 minutes total for the final bracing and cleaning. These time limits must be strictly respected to avoid an uneven process, which can be fatal for the structural integrity of the entire wing spar.

Everything went according to plan thanks to positive collaboration between Decision and our engineers, both working hard to achieve the best and most precise results.  

For more information about the construction of HB-SIB, check out the Making Of or HB-SIB timeline. 

The first event week in Phoenix proved the high interest of the public in Solar Impulse - certainly beyond what was expected. The demand was so high that we had to open an extra public day, in addition to the two originally scheduled.  There were people of all ages, families with kids, aviation enthusiasts and renewable energies supporters. A total of 2,250 people had a chance to view the airplane and we’re hoping to share the same excitement with many more in the stopover cities along the way.

In the evening, the Swiss Consulate organized a dinner event under the wings of the solar airplane with the presence of numerous Consuls, an Ambassador and two Judges including the Governor of Arizona, Mrs. Jan Brewer, the Honorary Consul of Switzerland, Alisa Jost, Secretary of the State of Arizona, Ken Bennett and the Chairman of the Consular Corps of Arizona, Michael Chan.

The mood was festive to the beat of Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” – Big Apple here we come! During the event, Bertrand renamed Governor Brewer “Solar Queen” because of the significant investments in solar power Arizona is making with the ambitious objective of making Arizona the first clean tech State in the United States.

Beyond Across America and the mission’s final destination, there were talks about the flight around the world, scheduled for 2015. The Consul General of Mexico, Victor Trevino Escudero, said he hopes his country will extend the partnership to Solar Impulse for a 2015 stopover in Mexico, but I’m afraid he might have some competition for this privilege with a much younger visitor... At the end of a public visit, a little boy carried in his mother’s arms cried out: “Mom, is that going to be the last time I get to see the plane?” We might want to consider paying another visit to Phoenix in 2015 as well, before going to Mexico, as it might make many kids, and this one in particular, very happy.

Photo left: Bertrand, Governor of Arizona, Jan Brewer and André. 

Last week, the Solar Impulse team at Moffett was presented with an unusual visit. Sir Richard Branson, Founder and Chairman of Virgin Group, British business tycoon and entrepreneur, showed up at Moffett Airfield. Although it might have appeared as a surprise, the parallels between Solar Impulse and Richard are all too evident for it to be a simple coincidence.

Richard and Bertrand have a relationship that stretches back to their ballooning days. In fact, Richard, with Per Lindstrand, were the first to cross the Pacific Ocean in a hot air balloon in 1991. Seven years later, in 1999, Bertrand, with Brian Jones, were the first to circumnavigate the globe beating Richard, Linstrand and Fossett’s similar attempt in 1998. “I doff my cap to him” Richard said elegantly when asked about the potential rivalry this might have caused.

Richard was extremely enthusiastic and impressed at the sight of Solar Impulse, to the point that he jokingly added, "I just need to find a way to smuggle that plane out in my pocket!” Richard is also looking at ways to harness solar power by using it to tow aircraft onto the runway in the near future.

One could feel the camaraderie between André, Bertrand and Richard as the pilots showed off their engineering jewel to the Englishman. He even recognized, in HB-SIA’s sleek silhouette, a great communication tool – a message carrier, a “weapon” to showcase the potential of clean techs and innovation – values Richard also shares.

Richard didn’t hesitate to become Solar Impulse’s Patron and, as he was leaving for another engagement in his busy schedule, he gave big thumbs up with his trademark smile “I always set myself challenges that might seem impossible…” Wait, haven’t I heard that somewhere already? André? Bertrand? I think we found our project’s new soul mate! 

Given the unexpected amount of public visit registrations at Phoenix Sky Harbor, the Solar Impulse team pens an additional public visit day, this Wednesday, May 8^th. Register here to get your free tickets.

 By putting yourself on the eventbrite list you will also become part of the Solar Impulse community of pioneers, the best way to get the latest news about the project, including public visits and mission flight information directly in your inbox.

So hurry up and register!

We look forward to seeing you numerous!

For those of you that have already been to the Solar Impulse tent at Phoenix Sky Harbor, check out our Flickr page to find and download photos of you and your loved ones. Click here. 

The first leg of the 2013 Across America mission was concluded successfully. Bertrand Piccard did a wonderful job throughout the flight, bringing HB-SIA safely from San Francisco to Phoenix, and landing at 00:30 am MST (UTC-7) on Runway 08, Saturday May 4^th.

Bertrand had a chance to give numerous interviews to media all around the world before climbing to an altitude above 12,000 ft. where he was then obliged to wear an oxygen mask. Interestingly enough, more people were connected from Japan than the US, for a short while, prior to touchdown.

Ever thought of flying electric cars? Sure seems we’re not far from that. During the flight Bertrand heard an aircraft asking the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) about Solar Impulse and why he had to remain at a distance. The ATC replied, “Just think of a flying electric car!” cracking Bertrand into a hearty laugh. HB-SIA was extremely well welcomed by all ATC along the way and the exchanges between Bertrand and his ATC interlocutors were very enjoyable. I can imagine how important these exchanges are especially during 20-hour long flights!

As the elegant solar airplane, piloted by Bertrand Piccard, is slowly making its way to the first destination on this 2013 Across America adventure, it’s worth mentioning all the things that are travelling with him to keep him company.

There are five symbolic objects accompanying Bertrand on this journey, which will also fly with André on future legs. In fact, these objects are an integral part of this coast-to-coast flight.

• Small piece of fabric from the historical Vin Fiz Flyer – the first aircraft to cross the United States in 1911, New York to California, piloted by Calbraith Perry Rodgers. It was the first flyer to be sold to a private citizen by the Wright brothers, who also trained Calbraith as a pilot in only 90 minutes. The Vin Fiz took 3 months to cross the United States at a speed of 45-55 mph (72-88 km/h) with over 15 crashes.
• Explorer’s Club Flag N°50 – The same flag travelled to Morocco onboard HB-SIA during the 2012 Crossing Frontiers mission. Flag n°50 has certainly seen more of the world than the solar airplane: it’s been accompanying world renowned explorers on the most diverse missions since 1932 – from Asia to Africa, to Easter Island and the Caucasus. Bertrand is a third generation explorer as both his grandfather and father were members of the Club who also carried a flag on their expeditions. 
• Clean Generation Flag – The 2013 Across America mission acts also as the launching of a global initiative to gather support for the adoption of clean technologies. Solar Impulse is the Ambassador of technological innovation and the project’s co-founders, Bertrand and André, are seeking to raise awareness worldwide in support of a more sustainable future. Thousands of Supporters are already part of this people-powered movement. With each stopover, a “Clean Generation” flag with the name of the destination will be left as a souvenir to the pioneering cities that have chosen to host Solar Impulse.
• Supporters Across America – As part of the “Clean Generation” initiative, the name of all the Supporters’ will be virtually carried by the pilots André and Bertrand, city to city, in the cockpit via a USB key. As more Supporters join, more names will be added as proof of growing awareness.
• Nilsie the Mascott – A WWF stuffed animal representing a meerkat joined the team at the end of the 2012 Crossing Frontiers mission. The Solar Impulse Ground Crew purchased it as a gift to their esteemed team leader, Nils, who’s always running around, taking care of his team, ensuring everything is proceeding smoothly. His short stature makes him stand tall, alert, constantly checking out what’s going on, just like a meerkat. Nilsie the Mascott is therefore a respected and important passenger of this year’s mission.