{"id":14086,"date":"2021-06-15T19:54:47","date_gmt":"2021-06-16T02:54:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/?p=14086"},"modified":"2021-06-16T07:24:33","modified_gmt":"2021-06-16T14:24:33","slug":"sunseeker-duo-has-new-radio-big-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/sunseeker-duo-has-new-radio-big-plans\/","title":{"rendered":"Sunseeker Duo has a New Radio and Big Plans"},"content":{"rendered":"

Touring on Sunbeams<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Eric and Irena Raymond have an enviable life, traveling on sunbeams across Europe in their Sunseeker Duo, and if plans go well later this year, into northern Africa and beyond.\u00a0 \u201cLast summer, we flew down the west coast of Italy, landing on the islands of Elba and Corsica.\u201d\u00a0 Crossing the Mediterranean would be no major impediment to further travel, as Solar Impulse showed, because, \u201cBeing solar powered our airplanes are assured a constant supply of energy by flying over the clouds, and we can cover much greater distances.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Duo circling over the island of Elba, where Napoleon was exiled in his final years.\u00a0 The range of history Eric and Irena share in their craft is impressive<\/p><\/div>\n

This summer will expand their itinerary to, \u201cStarting in Italy and flying down the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, starting by exploring the Istria peninsula, then touring the myriad countless islands of this Adriatic archipelago.\u00a0 No goal is set, other than returning to our home base in Osoppo (Italy). At least as far as Split should be easy.\u201d\u00a0 Split, on the west coast of Croatia, includes the palace of Roman Emperor Diocletian, a UNESCO World Heritage site still looking good after nearly two millennia.<\/p>\n

\u201cLater in the summer we plan another trip into Germany, visiting team members and friends in Isny and Schwabisch Hall.\u201d<\/p>\n

They have even grander plans later in the year, hoped for but somewhat tenuous.\u00a0 \u201cAfter the summer flying season, we plan to display the Sunseeker Duo at the Expo 2020 in Dubai<\/a> and fly it at the Dubai airshow in November<\/a>.\u00a0 After Dubai, we would ship the Sunseeker Duo to the island of Cyprus, and from there fly it back to our base in Italy, across Turkey, Greece, and the Balkan states.\u201d<\/p>\n

Averted Recognition<\/h4>\n

A few things impinge on those hopes.\u00a0 Even though he flew Sunseeker 1 across the United States in 21 hops in 1990 and Sunseeker 2 over the Alps between Germany and Italy in 2009, fate or politics seem to deny Eric the full recognition he deserves. When he landed at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina after an epic trip across the country, his photo op was overshadowed by our invasion of Kuwait.\u00a0 This was 23 years before Solar Impulse made the second solar-trans-continental flight.<\/p>\n

Eric hopes to participate in the World Air Games this year in Dubai, and while still in negotiations with the organizers, is not yet assured of an opportunity.\u00a0 He had won a Gold Medal, First Place for the Best Experimental Aircraft at the 2009 event, but has not yet been invited back.\u00a0 It seems the person who hosted him originally had not followed F\u00e9d\u00e9ration A\u00e9ronautique Internationale<\/em><\/a> policy.<\/p>\n

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Note black line along leading edge of right wing. On end, GoPro camera records adventures<\/p><\/div>\n

He has tried four more times to attend the games.\u00a0 In his less than objective view, Your Editor would think the WAG and the Dubai Air Show would be delighted to have a world-class example of a highly advanced aircraft that uses no fuel.\u00a0 Only Solar Impulse has anywhere near the hours of sun-powered flight accumulated by Eric and Irena \u2013 and it requires a significant support team to keep it aloft.\u00a0 The Raymonds manage their trips on their own \u2013 the ultimate in self-sufficient, planet-saving travel.<\/p>\n

Eric explains a few quirks that stand in the way.\u00a0 \u201cIt is interesting to study the FAI policies in this field. \u00a0Although solar powered airplanes started flying in 1979, no World Records were issued, not even in 1981, when the Solar Challenger flew from Paris to London, without any batteries. \u00a0So, no ambiguity there, but it took the FAI until 2010 to finalize the rules for this new class.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout the Expo 2020 in Dubai; Most of the pavilions are national. \u00a0Some countries even get free pavilions, provided by the hosts in case they cannot afford them.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur airplanes have no nation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sunseekers \u00a0and Photography<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Even a \u201cmediocre\u201d day for soaring enables a solar-powered flight to gliding site 22 kilometers (13.7 miles) from the Duo\u2019s home base.\u00a0 The landing here at the Zampieri glider strip is cleverly recorded, with the camera mounted on a shaft extended from the point about 2\/3 span where the wing planform sweeps back.\u00a0 One can see the mounting point, but the Raymonds use digital editing skills to remove the shaft from view, giving a unique point of view to their shots.<\/p>\n