Solar Impulse milestones

“If an airplane is able to fly day and night without fuel no-one will be able to make us believe that our society cannot survive without fossil fuels!” – With Solar Impulse, Swiss-born pioneers Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg and their international team of scientists and engineers will be writing a new page of aviation history – demonstrating how a pioneering spirit and a passion for research can pull together for the good of our planet.

2003

• Positive result of a feasibility study by  EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)
• Solar Impulse SA founded by Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg

2004-2006

• Concept development

2007

• Deutsche Bank, already a main partner of Solar Impulse, announces that at a press conference in March. read more
• Conclusion of planning phase 1: presentation of the model of the “Solar Impulse HB-SIA”-prototype read more

2008

• Construction starts on the prototype “Solar Impulse HB-SIA”
• Successful wind tunnel tests on the propellers
• First virtual flight in a replica of the cockpit by Solar Impulse pilots with 25 hours of running operations read more
• European Commission takes patronages for Solar Impulse
• First endurance tests of the prototype's fuselage read more
• Delivery of parts for the prototype’s wing from Décision shipyards to Dübendorf read more

2009

• First endurance tests of the solar cells on the mountain Jungfrau-Joch
• First load- and vibration tests of the 63-metre long wing
• 26 June 2009: Unveiling of the prototype read more
• First take off of “Solar Impulse HB-SIA” from Dübendorf to the video

2010

• Moving of the prototype to Payerne for longer test flights
• Maiden flight of the prototype to the video
• First 26-hour flight of “Solar Impulse HB-SIA”  
• First regular flight operations of the prototype read more 

2011

• First international Flight: Read more about the European Solar Flights 2011
• Beginning of construction and testing of the record-breaking airplane “Solar Impulse HB-SIB”

from 2012

• Planning of the flight path for the round-the-world flight
• Trial flights with “Solar Impulse HB-SIA” lasting several days

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