2008: Die HB-SIA nimmt Form an

Ein wichtiges Jahr für Solar Impulse und ihre Visionäre. Die Gründer und Piloten, Bertrand Piccard und André Borschberg, absolvierten erfolgreich die ersten virtuellen Flüge (je 25 Stunden), während die Konstruktion des HB-SIA Prototypen weiterging.

Mai

• 12. Mai: Während die Teile des Flugzeugs gebaut werden, unternehmen André Borschberg und Bertrand Piccard beide jeweils einen 25-Stunden-Flug in einem Cockpit-Simulator.

November

• 27. November: Lieferung des Flügelholms nach Dübendorf für die Konstruktion der HB-SIA.

Dezember

• 5. Dezember: Montage des Flügelholms.

We then began vibration tests. These consist of vibrating every part of the aircraft to measure its specific frequencies, for example by moving the wing tips by up to 50 cm. We had of course already measured these different vibration frequencies with sophisticated computer models. And despite the complex nature of these phenomena, the live measurements came out very close to our earlier calculations..

What difference does this make? Too big a gap would have required us to review the design and the structure We can now look forward serenely to the next set of tests planned for January.

A happy festive season to everyone.

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.