scottbkaiser
Junior Member
Has anyone ever tried putting a solar charger on a battery of a RC plane or copter? Is it feasible.
solar charging in flite
- Thread starter scottbkaiser
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Yes.
Sorta.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Introduction-47/
Due to low efficiency in the conversion from light to electricity, you'll need gobs of surface area and a very power efficient airframe. This puts you in the neighborhood of a large-wing glider or lighter-than-air craft.
Even with more efficient cells there's only so much energy in sunlight so you'll likely still face these restrictions . . . a "solar powered" multirotor won't be carrying deployed solar panels keeping the battery topped off.
Sorta.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Introduction-47/
Due to low efficiency in the conversion from light to electricity, you'll need gobs of surface area and a very power efficient airframe. This puts you in the neighborhood of a large-wing glider or lighter-than-air craft.
Even with more efficient cells there's only so much energy in sunlight so you'll likely still face these restrictions . . . a "solar powered" multirotor won't be carrying deployed solar panels keeping the battery topped off.
OttoPilot
Member
Possible? Yes. They've done it with a full size airplane currently attempting a globe hopping round-the-world journey: Solar Impulse.
Practical for an RC plane? No. the wing area on most RC planes is so small and solar cells so inefficient that any added flight time would be canceled by the additional weight of the solar cells and charging circuitry
Practical for an RC plane? No. the wing area on most RC planes is so small and solar cells so inefficient that any added flight time would be canceled by the additional weight of the solar cells and charging circuitry
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