July 7, 1981 –
The first solar-powered aircraft, Solar Challenger, crossed the English Channel flying 163 miles from the Pointoise Cormeilles airport, near Paris, to the Manston Royal Air Force Base, in Kent, England, on this date.
The aircraft weighs some 217 pounds. Its 2.7 hp engine is powered exclusively by 16,128 photovoltaic cells. It was created by Dupont and a team led by Dr. Paul MacCready of Pasadena, California.
And so it goes
The Haus of Dcaligari 