Solar Impulse becomes a symbol of the European Commission
Solar Impulse, the Swiss solar-powered aeroplane project sponsored by Deutsche Bank as main partner, was presented today to the European Parliament in Brussels within the framework of the seminar :Towards a more sustainable aviation. The Vice-President of the European Commission with responsibility for Transport, Mr Jacques Barrot, publicly announced the European Commission’s patronage of the Solar Impulse project, in the presence of Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, President and CEO of Solar Impulse respectively.
The first Solar Impulse prototype plane, the HB-SIA is currently being built in Dübendorf, close to Zurich. It will have a wing span of 61 metres and weigh in at 1,500 kg. The test flights are scheduled to start in early 2009.
The Solar Impulse project is supported among others by the Solvay group, by Omega and by the Deutsche Bank, its main partners. The Ecole Polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) is its official scientific partner, Altran its engineering partner and Dassault-Aviation its consultant aircraft manufacturer.
