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SIAE: Solar Impulse at the Paris Air Show

Dépèche transmise le 11 avril 2011 par Business Wire

SIAE: Solar Impulse at the Paris Air Show

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The organisers of the International Paris Air Show are delighted and extremely proud to announce the presence of the solar aeroplane Solar Impulse as the show's "Special Guest".

Air show premiere

This will be the first air show appearance made by the revolutionary aeroplane, culmination of a genuine human and technological adventure, which made a historic 26-hour day and night flight without fuel, powered only by solar energy, in July 2010. Bertrand Piccard, André Borschberg and their team were delighted to accept the invitation offered for the event by the Paris Air Show, the world's number 1 air show.

Daily flights

From 20 to 26 June, visitors to the show will be able look closely at Solar Impulse on the ground, and each morning, so long as weather conditions are favourable, admire its majestic flying displays whilst marvelling at the silence of its electric motors.

A pioneering, innovative spirit

With the participation of Solar Impulse, the Paris Air Show continues its tradition of presenting the most innovative prototypes, which have marked the history of the show for more than 100 years, thereby sharing its passion and dreams with visitors.

As a showcase for the boldest technological advances, the Paris Air Show is in perfect harmony with the culture which unites the Solar Impulse team in its human quest for innovation, its search for new technology, its desire to respect the environment and its motivation for sustainable development.

A real technical challenge

Given its 64 metre wingspan (as wide as an Airbus A340), light weight and extremely slow speed, organising flying displays by the Solar Impulse HB-SIA at the Paris Air Show is also a real aviation challenge, which will be faced jointly on a daily basis by teams from both the Show and Solar Impulse.

About Solar Impulse

Solar Impulse HB-SIA, the first aeroplane designed to fly day and night without requiring fuel and without producing carbon emissions, demonstrates the enormous potential held by new technologies in terms of energy savings and renewable energy production. Seven years of intensive work, calculations and tests by a team of 70 people and 80 partners have contributed to producing this revolutionary carbon fibre aeroplane, with a wingspan as wide as that of an Airbus A340 (63.4m) and a weight equivalent to that of an average family car (1 600kg). It is the largest aeroplane of its weight ever to have been built. The 12,000 solar cells integrated into the wing supply four electric motors (maximum power 10CV each) with renewable energy and charge the 400kg lithium polymer batteries during the day, enabling the aircraft to fly at night. The Solar Impulse project is supported, among others, by: Solvay, Omega, Deutsche Bank and Schindler as Principal Partners; Bayer Material Science and Altran as Official Partners; EPFL (Lausanne Federal Institute of Technology) as Official Scientific Consultant and Dassault-Aviation as Aviation Consultant.

For further information:

SOLAR IMPULSE

Alexandra Gindroz, Press Officer

Tel. +41 58 219 2440 email: press@solarimpulse.com

About the International Paris Air Show at Le Bourget

The International Paris Air Show at Le Bourget, which was created in 1909 at the Grand Palais in Paris, is the world's oldest and largest show for the industry.

It has been the venue for numerous aviation and space events, and continues to present the sector's latest developments to a wide audience, from both the trade and the general public.

The International Paris Air Show at Le Bourget, the key event for the whole industry, is organised by SIAE, a 100%-owned subsidiary of GIFAS (Groupement des Industries Françaises Aéronautiques et Spatiales).

Key figures (2009 show):

• 2,000 international exhibitors
• 138,000 trade visitors
• 193,000 general public visitors
• 130,000m² of exhibition area sold (Halls, village, chalets and outdoor area)
• 192,000m² of exhibition space for aircraft
• Over 140 aircraft performing flying displays and exhibited
• 205 official delegations from 88 countries
• 3,000 journalists from all over the world

Practical information:

• Trade-only days (under 16s not admitted): Monday 20 to Thursday 23 June 2011
• "Student" day: Friday 24 June 2011 (Free entry with proof of student status)
• Open to the general public: Friday 24, Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 June 2011
• Times: 9.30am - 6pm

For more information on the Show, please visit our website:

www.salon-du-bourget.fr