1997-1999 Solar Motorsports Team Presents:

Papillion

The 1999 car demonstrated the best of aerodynamic design the Texas A&M Solar Motorsports Team had ever developed. A half-scale model of the shell was tested extensively in a wind tunnel. The shell was built out of carbon fiber that was remnants of the discontinued B2 stealth bomber program. 4130 Chrome-moly steel was used to build the chassis after a great deal of research. The Papillion used the same kind of solar cells as the Mach V. The brakes were integrated into the all aluminum uprights to save weight and volume. The Papillion was also our first four-wheeled solar vehicle. This made the car much more stable and allowed for a more reliable chassis.