The Solar Impulse HB-SIA will take off for the first time from Payerne. Following the ground tests conducted over the last few days and with the weather forecast that should fit the requirements, test pilot Markus Scherdel will be at the prototype’s controls to take the plane up for its first flight.
The objective of tomorrow’s mission is to verify that the plane’s flight behaviour is in line with the calculations and simulations done using the flight simulator. With such a large and light plane never having flown before, the aircraft’s flight behaviour remains unexplored.
The Solar Impulse HB-SIA will be towed out of its hangar and taken to the runway. Flight duration will depend on everything working as it should, but is expected to last around one hour thirty minutes. Flight altitude should reach about 1000 meters.