Travel the world in a solar-powered airplane. This is the mission of the Swiss pilots Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, that just this Monday inaugurated the Solar Impulse 2, with the first trip from Abu Dhabi to Muscat, the capital of Oman. Five months of travel planned, 21,750 miles to be traveled through five continents and two oceans, all without using a drop of fuel.
The Solar Impulse 2 weighs just over two tons, has a wingspan of 71 feet and wings are completely covered with 17,000 solar cells, making it the first solar-powered aircraft capable of flying both during the day and night .
“I am confident that I have a very special aircraft, and will have to be to take us beyond the oceans” Borschberg told the BBC. The pilots have been trained rigorously in this respect, aimed to get them used to a maximum of 20 minutes of sleep during the flight hours, practicing with yoga and self-hypnosis to meet the needs of the trip. In some places, the Solar Impulse 2 will travel for 5 days in a row without stopping. During the “pause”, drivers will be involved in a campaign in favor of renewable technologies and clean.
“Sixteen years ago I dreamed of flying around the world without fuel, only by solar energy – said Piccard – now I am going to realize this dream.” Through the youtube channel of Solar Impulse, internet users will be able to keep up to date on the mission of Piccard and Borschberg.
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