Solar-electric aircrafts show a lot of promise in tackling missions that require long duration flights such as pseudo-satellites. The 2023-2024 Solar Airplane Project at Oregon State University conducted research and development of a solar-electric remote-controlled aircraft for the purpose of better understanding the design and implementation of a solar-electric aircraft. The design challenge that drove the engineering decisions for the final 2023-2024 aircraft was a 12-hour endurance goal. Computer code written in MATLAB and experimental flight and hardware testing were used to predict performance, calculate design parameters, and determine the final shape of the aircraft.
The completed aircraft is a retrofitted Grafas MAXi 3.5 remote control aircraft, with an additional meter of wingspan for a total wingspan of 4.5 meters. Numerous challenges arose from the larger wingspan of the aircraft, primarily in-flight stability and structural integrity. Further challenges arose from the implementation of the solar energy system. Based on available data, the conservative estimations place maximum aircraft endurance at 9.7 to 13.8 hours depending on airspeed, available sun, and time of year. From a variety of metrics, the team estimates further performance would require significant design changes to avoid problems with control authority, wing bending, and excessive mass. However, 24-hour endurance and/or mission capabilities are feasible and worth further exploration by future groups.