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The solar impulse has a massive wing span, greater than a jumbo jets. Would it not be possible to have a biplane design to shorten the wingspan(making it more practical and maneuverable)and have the wings offset so that they both capture the sun?

Andy B
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    But wingspan is good. They need great wingspan. – Jan Hudec Apr 28 '16 at 16:58
  • Not very practical though for future transport. The drag produced from a biplane design would not be a big factor due to the slow speed of a solar plane. – Andy B Apr 28 '16 at 17:53
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    The drag produced from a biplane design would be a huge factor, because it is the short span that causes the drag, especially at low speed. – Jan Hudec Apr 28 '16 at 18:39
  • Wouldn't it make more sense to increase wing chord? This way you only have one boundary layer (= less drag) and a much thicker wing. Makes you wonder why the designers of the Solar Impulse didn't choose to do so, doesn't it? – Peter Kämpf Apr 28 '16 at 20:13

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