View source for Physics:MacCready Gossamer Penguin

{{DISPLAYTITLE:MacCready ''Gossamer Penguin''}}
{|{{Infobox aircraft begin
|name           = ''Gossamer Penguin''
|image          = Gossamer penguin.jpg
|caption        = Test flight of the ''Gossamer Penguin''
}}{{Infobox aircraft type
|type           = [[Engineering:Experimental aircraft|experimental aircraft]]
|national origin = {{wipe|United States}}
|manufacturer   = AeroVironment
|designer       = [[Biography:Paul MacCready|Paul MacCready]]
|first flight   = May 18, 1979
|introduction   = 
|retired        = 
|status         = 
|primary user   = 
|more users     = 
|produced       = 
|number built   = 1
|program cost   = 
|unit cost      = 
|developed from = ''Gossamer Albatross''
|variants with their own articles = 
|developed into = Solar Challenger
}}
|}
The '''''Gossamer Penguin''''' was a solar-powered experimental aircraft created by [[Biography:Paul MacCready|Paul MacCready]]'s AeroVironment.<ref name=Macready/>  MacCready, whose ''Gossamer Condor'' in 1977 won the [[Engineering:Kremer prize|Kremer prize]] for human-powered flight, told reporters two weeks in June, 1980 that "The first solar-powered flight ever made took place on May 18."<ref name=McGarry>"Plane flies on sun power", by Terrance W. McGarry, United Press International report in the ''Spokane (WA) Chronicle'', June 5, 1980, p12</ref>  The testing ground was at Minter Field outside of Shafter, California.<ref name=McGarry/>

The ''Penguin'' was a 3/4 scale version of the ''Gossamer Albatross II'', and had a 71&nbsp;ft.(21.64 meter) wingspan and a weight, without pilot, of {{convert |68|lb |abbr=on}}. The powerplant was an [[Company:AstroFlight|AstroFlight]] Astro-40 electric motor, driven by a 541 watt solar panel consisting of 3920 solar cells.<ref name = "SolarFlight"/>

Initial test flights were performed using a 28 cell NiCad battery pack instead of a panel. The test pilot for these flights was MacCready's 13-year-old son Marshall, who weighed {{convert |80|lb |abbr=on}}.

The official pilot for the project was Janice Brown, a charter pilot with commercial, instrument, and glider ratings who weighed slightly less than {{convert | 100|lb |abbr=on}}. She flew the ''Penguin'' approximately 40 times before a {{convert | 1.95| mi |abbr=on}} public demonstration at [[Organization:NASA|NASA]]'s Dryden Flight Research Center on August 7, 1980.<ref name = "nasa"/>

==Specifications==
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=MacCready, Lissaman, Morgan, and Burke 1983<ref name=Macready/>
|prime units?=kts

|crew=1
|capacity=
|length m=
|length ft=
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|span m=21.64
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|wing area sqm=27.6
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|fuel capacity=28 x D type Nickel Cadmium (NiCad) cells '''or''' 3920 solar cells
|more general=

|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=Astro-Flight Astro-40
|eng1 type=double brush DC electric motor with 133:1 reduction
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=
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|power original=

|prop blade number=
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|perfhide=Y

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|more performance=
}}

==See also==
{{aircontent
|related=
* [[Engineering:MacCready Gossamer Albatross|MacCready ''Gossamer Albatross'']]
* [[Physics:MacCready Solar Challenger|MacCready Solar Challenger]]
|similar aircraft=
|lists=
|see also=
* [[Physics:Solar-powered aircraft|Solar-powered aircraft]]
}}

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
*<ref name=Macready>{{cite journal|author1=P.B. MacCready|author2=P.B.S. Lissaman|author3=W.R. Morgan|author4=J.D. Burke|title=Sun-Powered Aircraft Designs|journal=Journal of Aircraft|date=June 1983|volume=20|issue=6|pages=487–493|issn=0021-8669|doi=10.2514/3.44898}}</ref>
*<ref name = "nasa">{{citation | publisher = NASA | place = USA | url = http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Photo/Albatross/HTML/ECN-13413.html | title = Solar-powered Gossamer Penguin in flight}}.</ref>
*<ref name = "SolarFlight">{{cite book|last1=Boucher|first1=Robert, J.|title=History of Solar Flight (AIAA-84-1429)|date=June 11–13, 1984|publisher=American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics|location=20th Joint Propulsion Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio|doi=10.2514/6.1984-1429}}</ref>

}}

{{AeroVironment aircraft}}

[[Category:Canard aircraft]]
[[Category:Single-engined pusher aircraft]]
[[Category:Solar-powered aircraft]]
[[Category:Photovoltaics]]
[[Category:High-wing aircraft]]

{{Sourceattribution|MacCready Gossamer Penguin}}