Solar Impulse 2 solar plane ends flight test

On June 2, Solar Impulse 2 solar powered aircraft successfully completed the first test flight, surpassing the biggest obstacle to the goal of making a round-the-world flight in 2015.

>>>Solar Impulse 2 is ready to fly around the world

Speaking to reporters at an air base in Payenrne (Switzerland), German pilot Markus Scherdel said the flight lasted 2 hours 15 minutes, 30 minutes longer than expected. All activities take place as intended. Scherdel also said Solar Impulse 2 had to be tested further, but this was a good start.

Solar Impulse 2 is made of carbon fiber, weighs 2.3 tons with 4 17.5 horsepower engines powered by 17,248 solar panels.

The panels are installed in the body and wingspan of the aircraft, up to 72m long, equivalent to the wingspan of the Airbus A380. The goal for Solar Impulse 2 is to fly non-stop for more than 120 hours (equivalent to 5 days and 5 nights), crossing the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean.

Solar Impulse 2 solar powered aircraft at a base in Switzerland.(Photo: AFP / VNA)

Solar Impulse 2 's "forerunner" is Solar Impulse, the record-breaking aircraft for a 26-hour flight in 2010. This shows that the battery in the aircraft can be loaded with enough fuel during the day to be used in the night.

Last year, Solar Impulse also flew across Europe, across the Mediterranean to Marocco and crossed the US without using fossil fuels.

Solar Impulse 2's round-the-world flight in March 2015 will start from the Gulf to take advantage of low cloud conditions in the Middle East and there will be several stops. The plane will cross the Arabian Sea to India, Myanmar and China.

Next, the aircraft will cross the Pacific Ocean, fly over the United States, the Atlantic Ocean, Southern Europe and finally North Africa before returning to the starting point.

The night speed of the aircraft is 46km / h to avoid battery drain too quickly. Pilots can take a nap on a "business class" seat because of a "companion" as a wake-up device and report any problems to the flight control department located in Switzerland.

The solar-powered developer Bertrand Piccard, the first person to fly around the world with hot air balloons, and Andre Borschberg, formerly a pilot in the Swiss air force.

The pair said that solar cells combined with ultra-light materials could turn solar-powered aircraft into reality.