First solar-powered airplane Solar Impulse 2 set to start 35,000-km journey from Abu Dhabi

Thirteen years in the making, the idea of a solar-powered aircraft was initially considered something of joke by the aviation industry.



Flying around the world in a zero-fossil fuel, solarpowered airplane may seem like something right out of a modern day Jules Verne or a 21st century Arthur Clarke novel, but yBertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg of Solar Impulse have set out to prove that it is indeed possible to do so. 
Solar Impulse 2 (Si2), the first solar-powered airplane that is capable of flying through day and night, is set to embark on its 35,000-km journey starting from Abu Dhabi, UAE, as early as Saturday, if weather conditions permit. 
India, which has earned global praise with its big push for renewable - particularly solar - energy, will be part of this effort with Ahmedabad and Varanasi being among the 12 stopovers for this historic adventure. 
Thirteen years in the making, the idea of a solar-powered aircraft was initially considered something of joke by the aviation industry. However, ushering in radical transformation in aviation is not the top priority of the Swiss pilot duo. "Our primary purpose is not to revolutionize aviation, but the way in which people think about energy and clean technologies," said Piccard, initiator, chairman and pilot of Solar Impulse. 
This single-seater aircraft, made of carbon fibre, has a 72-metre wingspan — making it larger than that of the Boeing 747-8I — with 17,000 solar cells built, and weighs 2,300 kg. During the day, the solar cells recharge lithium batteries, allowing the plane to also fly at night. 

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