A solar-powered plane that has been built to fly around the world took to the skies yesterday on an historic 90-minute flight using not one ounce of fuel. Four propellers lifted the massive 'Solar Impulse' off the ground at a maximum speed of 28mph on the runway at a Swiss military airport.
The test flight by Swiss adventurer Bertrand Piccard's team was to see if the plane, which has the wingspan of a Boeing 747 and the weight of a small car, could keep a straight path. The team plans to fly it around the world in 2012.
Test pilot Markus Scherdel took the prototype plane to 3,280 feet before descending at a snail's pace and touching down smoothly to cheers from spectators.
Solar Impulse slowly takes to the air after trundling along the runway at a maximum speed of 28mph
Members of the Solar Impulse team run along beside the plane as it takes off
Piccard, who in 1999 copiloted the first nonstop round-the-globe balloon flight with Sir Richard Branson, said: 'To fly without fuel, we have to make it fly in line. There might be things that go wrong - maybe a technical problem, engine failure or a part breakdown.'
The £70 million project has been conducting 'flea-hop tests' since December, taking the plane no higher than 2ft in altitude and 1,000ft in distance. A night flight is planned later this year, and then a new plane will be built based on the results of those tests.
Using almost 12,000 solar cells, rechargeable lithium batteries and four electric motors, Piccard and co-pilot Andre Borschberg plan to take the plane around the world with stops to allow them to switch over and stretch after long periods in the cramped cockpit.
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