Solar Impulse 2 made history yesterday as the first airplane to circle the globe powered only by the sun, opening up new possibilities for the future of renewable energy.
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Co-Founder and Pilot André Borschberg added, “Flying one leg with a completely new type of airplane is hard enough, but flying around the world is a real challenge”.
“Solar Impulse has flown more than 40,000 kilometers without fuel, but with an inexhaustible supply of energy and inspiration”.
The Swiss-engineered plane had made 16 stops across the world, using no fuel.
The first round-the-world solar powered flight has been completed, after the Solar Impulse aircraft touched down in Abu Dhabi yesterday.
Solvay SA, which co-sponsored from the start, and provided materials used throughout the plane, congratulated pilots Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg. The two hugged and pumped their fists in excitement.
Although Solar Impulse has not been announced yet what they plan to do in the future, it is likely that this trip will have a positive impact on the development of clean technologies.
“You are helping pilot us to that future through your vision, your determination, your courage, and your inspiration and also your great example”, said Ban.
Euronews reporter Rita del Prete, who witnessed the touch down, said this was the fulfilment of a dream: “This historic world tour by an airplane “fuelled” only by solar energy is not just an aviation triumph”.
Made of carbon fibre, Si2 has a wingspan of 72m and is equipped with 17,248 solar cells, which are built into the wing power the four batteries that subsequently power the four electric engines. Excess energy is stored in batteries.
However, it only weighs as much as the average family auto. An empty Boeing 747, in comparison, weighs 400,000lbs.
To help steady it during takeoffs and landings, Bloomberg.com reported, the plane was guided by runners and bicyclists.
The Solar Impluse 2’s journey was riddled with complications, though not insurmountable, there are problems that need to be worked out.
But the aircraft was grounded in July past year when its solar-powered batteries suffered problems halfway through the trip.
It was also delayed for over a week in Cairo, ahead of its final flight to Abu Dhabi, when Piccard fell ill and due to poor weather conditions.
The plane clocked an average speed of 80 kilometres an hour (50 miles per hour).
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The plane began the journey in March 2015 in Abu Dhabi and completed it in stages, with stops in Oman, India, Myanmar, China, Nanjing, Hawaii, San Francisco, Phoenix, Tulsa, Dayton, New York, Seville, and Cairo before landing back in Abu Dhabi.
