Tags: Aircraft.
The Gossamer Penguin was a solar-power experimental aircraft created by Paul MacCready’s AeroVironment.The Penguin was a three-quarters scale version of the Gossamer Albatross II and had a 71 ft.(21.64 meter) wingspan and a weight without pilot of 68 lb (31 kg). The powerplant was an AstroFlight Astro-40 electric motor driven by a 541 watt solar panel consisting of 3920 solar cells.Initial test flights were performed using a 28 cell NiCad battery pack instead of a panel.