It is also the first solar-powered plane with the ability to fly for
several days and nights and land in 12 destinations along its roughly
35,000 kilometre (22,000 mile) trip including a five-day stretch above
the Pacific Ocean without a drop of fuel. Si2, whose makers claim it is
the most energy efficient aircraft ever built, has a wider wingspan than
a Boeing 747 but, thanks to its innovative design, weighs about as much
as a family 4x4. The plane will be taking a round the world flight. Its
route, which was unveiled in Abu Dhabi, begins in the United Arab
Emirate and includes stops in Oman, India, China, Hawaii and New York.
It will take around 25 days of total flying time. Although
groundbreaking in its distance, the trip will not be undertaken at a
lightning pace.
And
with flight speeds of 50-100 kilometers (30-60 miles) per hour, the
entire round-the-world journey is expected to take five months to
complete. Mr. Borschberg added that Solar Impulse 2 must accomplish what
no other plane in the history of aviation has been able to achieve by
flying without fuel for five consecutive days and nights with only one
pilot in the unpressurized cockpit. Aviation enthusiasts will be able to
watch a live video stream of the plane's progress once it sets off from
Abu Dhabi on its pioneering voyage, which is expected to begin at the
end of February, on the firm's website www.solarimpulse.com. Solar
Impulse's ambition is for the world of exploration and innovation to
contribute to the cause of renewable energies, to demonstrate the
importance of clean technologies for sustainable development; and to
place dreams and emotions back at the heart of scientific adventure.
