Solar Impulse 2 lands in Ahmedabad in its first round-the-world flight
11 Mar 2015
The first round-the-world flight of Solar Impulse-2 landed in Ahmedabad today on the second leg of a 35,000 km technology-demonstration journey of the solar-powered plane.
The Solar Impulse 2 arrived in Ahmedabad after a flight of about 15 hours over the Arabian Sea from Muscat in Oman all on its own stored energy.
"It's a privilege to fly in an aeroplane like that," pilot Bertrand Piccard told reporters after landing.
Piccard and fellow pilot Andre Borschberg are taking turns to steer the plane/
Solar Impulse 2, which began its journey in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates on Monday landed in Muscat, capital of Oman before flying to Ahmadabad,
It will now fly to Varanasi and from there to Myanmar and China before crossing the Pacific Ocean and flying across the United States and southern Europe to arrive back in Abu Dhabi by late July.
The plane makes its way around the globe in about 25 flight days at speeds of between 50 kHz and 100 kHz.
The biggest test for Borsch berg and Piccard is the longest single leg non-stop flight for five days across the Pacific Ocean between Nanjing, China and Hawaii, a distance of 8,500 kilometers.
The revolutionary single-seater aircraft made of carbon fibre has a 72 meter wingspan (larger than that of the Boeing 747-8I) while its weight is just 2,300 kg, equivalent to that of a car.
The 17,000 solar cells built into the wing supply four electric motors (17.5 CV each) with renewable energy.
Though its wingspan is slightly bigger than that of a jumbo jet, its weight is around that of a sedan.
During the day, the solar cells recharge lithium batteries weighing 633 kg, allow the aircraft to fly at night.
This solar plane, which is the culmination of 13 years of research and testing by Borschberg and Piccard, will create history once it completes a round-the-world flight.
