With a wingspan longer than the aerofoil of an Embraer Legacy 650, self-launched sailplanes tend to stand out on a business aviation static park.
But the two-seat Stemme S10 is something different besides.
The S10 harnesses solar energy to recharge the batteries powering the avionics and the engine starter, said Karen Stemme, a marketing and sales representative.
Taking a sailplane's reliance on the clean energy of windpower to the next level, the S10 includes a 60kW stack of solar panels attached to a removable fuselage cover aft of the two-seat cockpit.
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Germany-based Stemme delivered the first S10 more than a decade ago, and it remains the only sailplane in production with a solar-influenced power supply.
Said Stemme: "It's not easy to develop."
Source: Flight Daily News
