Solar Impulse 2: Photos of the Historic Round-the-World Flight

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A solar - powered plane has embark on an unprecedented flight around the existence . The aircraft , known as Solar Impulse 2 , is design to fly daylight and Nox without using any fuel . The airplane have off from Abu Dhabi , working capital of the United Arab Emirates , and will circumnavigate the globe as part of an opening move that is expected to last until July . see to it out these photos of the Solar Impulse 2 missionary work . [ say full level about the solar - powered plane ’s flight of steps ]

The sky ’s the limit

Solar Impulse 2 took off from Al Bateen Executive Airport in Abu Dhabi , to plain off the first leg of its rotund - the - Earth trajectory . The airplane ’s first stop will be in Oman . ( Credit : © Solar Impulse )

Loading Up

Solar Impulse 2 is loaded into a shipment planer to ready for the first - of - its - sort flight around the domain . The plane begin its historical journeying in Abu Dhabi , but will make stops in Oman , India , Myanmar , China , and the United States along the way . The carpenter’s plane will also pertain down in either southern Europe or North Africa , before revert to Abu Dhabi . ( deferred payment : © Solar Impulse | Revillard | Rezo.ch )

piece and parts

One of Solar Impulse 2 ’s massive wing is load into the cargo plane . The ultra - lightweight aircraft has a wingspread of 236 feet ( 72 meters ) . ( Credit : © Solar Impulse | Revillard | Rezo.ch )

Waiting for take off

Solar Impulse 2 is powered entirely by solar panel and onboard batteries , which charge during the day . This start the carpenter’s plane to continue flying even when the sun blend down , including throughout the night . ( Credit : © Solar Impulse | Revillard | Rezo.ch )

Prepping for take off

run pilot Markus Scherdel in the cockpit , during early test of the Solar Impulse 2 . ( credit entry : © Solar Impulse )

fly high

Solar Impulse 2 soars over domain in Payerne , Switzerland , during a trial run flight . ( Credit : © Solar Impulse | Revillard | Rezo.ch )

do dark-green tech oeuvre

Solar Impulse 2 is part of an initiative to play up " fleeceable " engineering and sustainable energy . ( Credit : © Solar Impulse | Revillard | Rezo.ch )

Taking green technical school to new heights

In 2013 , Swiss pilots and Solar Impulse co - founders André Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard took turns piloting a first - coevals prototype of the solar - power plane on a coast - to - seashore journey across the United States . ( cite : © Solar Impulse | Revillard | Rezo.ch )

Welcoming the sun

Solar Impulse 2 is an upgraded version of the paradigm used for the cross - country flight across the U.S. ( Credit : © Solar Impulse | Revillard | Rezo.ch )

Touching down