The solar-powered Icare 2 had its first flight at Laupheim air base in Germany on 7 July, winning the DM100,000 ($66,000) Berblinger Prize offered by the city of Ulm for solar flight. The lightweight, solar-powered aircraft has been developed by the Stuttgart University Institute for Air and Space Technology. The Icare 2 is powered by a 14kW electric pusher engine running on energy provided by solar power and uses 1,836W in cruise flight. Empty weight is 270kg; maximum weight 360kg; span 25m and wing surface 25.7m2 (275ft2). The first flight of the aircraft took place on Solar Flight Day, the culmination of the city of Ulm's Solar Year 96, in which the German city has actively promoted the use of regenerative energy.
Source: Flight International