Another interesting question off group which I thought I would share for those that are interested in this technology......
Question
i suggest you contact nanosolar, Nanosolar: to see if they will coat your plane with solar cells for free as an experiment. then make a deal with them for the future. the solar cells could charge the batteries, extend flying time, and are very thin and light. you are welcome to my idea.
Answer
the problem is that solar panels simply do not produce enough electricity to be of any benefit. The total wing area of the aircraft is only 9.5 mē. The very best solar panels available theoretically produce around 300 W per square metre. This has a total energy production of 2,850 W We require just under 10 times this amount for slow cruise. 20-22 kw in Australian heat and 18-20 kw in colder areas.
As you can see there is no benefit.
Let's say a solar system on an aircraft weighed 40 kg (the nano panels weigh 2.8 kg/m2 + inverter etc) then we would actually be going backwards because it would use more electricity than the system can produce to actually carry around the extra weight.
Please don't think we have not been down this road already, many times