Solar plane lands after 26 hr flight

Bern, Jul 8: The experimental solar-powered plane on Wednesday, Jul 7, landed safely in Switzerland after completing the first test journey which lasted for 26 hours. The solar plane reached the height of 8,700 m during the flight.

The plane was made up with the ultimate aim of circling the globe using solar energy to fuel the plane. The aircraft used super-efficient solar cells and batteries to fly after the Sun's rays had faded.

The longest and highest flight touched down at Payerne airfield about 31 miles southwest of the Swiss capital Bern at 09:00 (07:00 GMT).

The designers of the plane, Solar Impulse team said that the plane having 207-foot wingspan, uses 12,000 solar cells enable to store enough energy during the day to last through the night. They added that the plane can stay in the air non-stop around the clock. The team aims to build a new and more advanced version of this.

The four-engine aircraft was steered by a former fighter jet pilot from Switzerland, Andre Borschberg.

OneIndia News