sizing solar panel

Eric Greenwell wrote:
It would have be about a 1 amp maximum output panel just to be sure of
getting 0.5 amps on average, which would leave ~2 amphours to the
battery after a 4 hour flight. About 1+ hours of use would remain at
your 1.5 amp drain. That's a rather large solar panel to mount on
glider, or a rather expensive one.


Using PowerFilm PT15-75 thin film flexible modules rated at 50ma, 15.4
volts, it would take 20 units to get 1 ampere. Cost $800 ($40@). These
would use 5 square feet plus of surface area. They are 10.6" x 3.9".
There were several of these or similar units on gliders at the SSA
convention. The edges were taped to mount them and at that size they
seemed to form well to the compound curve of the fuselage. Only two or
three on a glider which indicates to me that they were mostly for the
wow factor..
Randy