Solar Plane called Solar Impulse flies to Morocco
Experimental aircraft Solar Impulse, a solar-powered, started on Thursday to experimental flight from Switzerland to Morocco. The plain has started from the airport in the westPayenne Switzerland.
The arrival will be In Morocco. There is a scheduled landing at the airport at Rabat. The flight which will be approximately 2500 km long, with only one stop in Madrid, Spain. There will be a technical inspection of the aircraft and pilots change.
The aircraft will be powered only by solar panels. This flight is a part of the final preparations for flight around the world in 2014. The Solar Impulse aircraft is a first plane, which is able to fly without fuel during the day and night.
The construction took seven years. The machine has a wingspan of 63.4 meters and weighs 1600 kg. The plane has a surface mounted solar panels which counts about 12,000 solar units.
The person’s name behind the project is Bertrand Piccard. Solar Impulse founder, Bertrand Piccard, told Reuters. This is the Solar Impulse’s “last rehearsal” before a round-the-world attempt in 2014.
Earlier in the year, the Solar Impulse set a record fly time for a solar powered plane, 26 hours.
Here is a quick video before the take off:
Source: The Telegraph
