OUR MISSION
The need for sustainable aviation is greater than ever! The Swift Solar Plane Project gives Stanford students hands-on experience building a solar-powered airplane over 5 meters in wingspan to fly continuously and autonomously in the Mojave desert for weeks.
OUR GROWTH
The Swift Solar Plane Project started as a one-person endeavor in 2021. Since then, our team has grown larger to include ambitious Stanford students from various majors and backgrounds. Through rigorous design iteration and documentation, members practice hands-on engineering skills often used in aerospace and related industries, such as carbon fiber layup, resin infusion techniques, solar encapsulation, CAD, and more.
FALL
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output rapid iterations of prototypes, reusing previous parts and improving with new designs
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optimize for low-energy flight
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goal: sustained autonomous flight
SPRING
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complete final iteration of the plane using insights gained from previous prototypes
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goal: multi-day continuous flight
WINTER
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output rapid iterations of prototypes, reusing previous parts and improving with new designs
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integrate solar panels to the avionics system
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scale up plane wingspan
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goal: 12-hour continuous flight
SUMMER
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launch final plane in Mojave Desert
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goal: continuous flight for weeks
