Project Solaris is a student research project with the goal to build a solar powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. This study is one in a set of studies that make up the initial phase of project Solaris. The main objective of this report is to investigate earlier solar powered airplanes as well as evaluate (or explore) potential future niche markets where solar powered UAVs could excel.A presentation of earlier solar powered airplanes will give an overall understanding of how solar powered airplanes have evolved and also provide information about the goals and ambitions behind the projects.Potential applications such as power line inspection and algal bloom observation will be described and a list of specifications for each application will be presented.