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Solar-powered plane revs up for world flight
The plane is powered by more than 17,000 solar cells built into wings that, at 72 metres (236 feet), are almost as long as those of an Airbus A380 superjumbo.
The D-day for Solar Impulse 2, the world’s first aircraft to fly around the world without a drop of fuel, is set for 7:30 am on March 9, 2015. The solar airplane is taking off from Abu Dhabi and land in Muscat, its first stop in a six months journey around the world, 12 hours later.
The air at Al Bateen Airport here, where the two pilots and brains behind this project were based for the past two months doing final checks and tests for the plane, was filled with emotions as the news of the departure was finally released.
“If we come back, inshallah, successfully in July, the project will not be finished, but just get started,” said Bertrand Piccard, one of the two pilots and co-founders of Solar Impulse.
Solar Impulse 2 will fly from UAE to USA and back, across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, making several stops along the way in Oman, India, Myanmar, China, Southern Europe or North Africa before returning to Abu Dhabi in July.
The plane is powered by more than 17,000 solar cells built into wings that, at 72 metres (236 feet), are almost as long as those of an Airbus A380 superjumbo.
Thanks to an innovative design, the light-weight carbon fibre aircraft weighs only 2.3-tonnes, about the same as a family 4X4 and less than one percent of the weight of the A380.
To avoid turbulence and strong winds, the plane will do all its take offs early morning and all its landings at night.
“We will fly a direct route to Muscat and, although it is a short distance, we will fly at slow speed, taking 12 hours, landing at sunset,” explained Andre Borschberg, the other pilot and co-founder of Solar Impulse.
Since the airplane only has room for one seat, so only one pilot can fly the aircraft at a time, they decided that Borschberg will have the first take off, while Piccard will do the final landing, back at Al Bateen, five months from now.
As it circles the world, aiming to arrive back in Abu Dhabi in July, its progress can be monitored via live video streaming at www.solarimpulse.com.
(with inputs from AFP)
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