Solar Impulse HB-SIA / Solar Impulse 2 Family
Solar Impulse was a Swiss family of crewed experimental aircraft designed to fly on solar energy stored in onboard batteries. The first prototype proved day-and-night solar flight and intercontinental operation, while the larger Solar Impulse 2 was built for ocean crossings and a multi-stage circumnavigation. Their extreme wingspans, very low mass, and energy-management systems turned the aircraft into flying laboratories for efficient structures, electric propulsion, and renewable energy.
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Identity
- Aliases
- Solar Impulse 1HB-SIASolar Impulse 2Si2HB-SIB
- Family Name
- Solar Impulse
- Full Name
- Solar Impulse HB-SIA / Solar Impulse 2 Family
- Roles
- researchexperimentaltechnology_demonstrator
- Status
- retired
- Type
- aircraft
Details
- Aircraft Specs
- Configuration
- fixed_wing
- Operating Modes
- land
- Takeoff Landing Capabilities
- conventional
- Description
- Solar Impulse was a Swiss family of crewed experimental aircraft designed to fly on solar energy stored in onboard batteries. The first prototype proved day-and-night solar flight and intercontinental operation, while the larger Solar Impulse 2 was built for ocean crossings and a multi-stage circumnavigation. Their extreme wingspans, very low mass, and energy-management systems turned the aircraft into flying laboratories for efficient structures, electric propulsion, and renewable energy.
- Propulsion Configurations
- Entries
- Count
- 1
- Propulsion System
- Role
- main
- Stage
- airframe
- Variant Notes
- One integrated HB-SIA four-motor electric propulsion system; the prototype used four 10 CV (about 7.5 kW) electric motors with battery storage and power-management hardware in the motor nacelles.
- Name
- Solar Impulse HB-SIA four-motor electric installation
- Notes
- The HB-SIA prototype configuration is kept distinct from Solar Impulse 2; the cited technical record identifies four 10 CV electric motors.
- Entries
- Count
- 1
- Propulsion System
- Role
- main
- Stage
- airframe
- Variant Notes
- One integrated Solar Impulse 2 four-motor electric propulsion system; four brushless, sensorless 13.5 kW motors used reduction gears and 4 m two-bladed propellers.
- Name
- Solar Impulse 2 four-motor electric installation
- Notes
- Solar Impulse identifies four 13.5 kW brushless motors, reduction gears, 4 m propellers, and 94 percent complete-system efficiency for the Solar Impulse 2 configuration.
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Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- July 29, 2026 at 13:15:08 UTC
- Updated Time
- September 8, 2026 at 09:57:20 UTC