Solar plane lands after first night flight (Lead, changing dateline)
July 8th, 2010 - 2:56 pm ICT by IANSGeneva, July 8 (DPA) A solar-powered plane landed Thursday morning in western Switzerland after staying in the air for 26 hours straight and successfully completing its first night flight.
The plane, part of the project Solar Impulse run by Swiss entrepreneur Bertrand Piccard, gathered enough solar energy at high altitudes during the daylight hours of the first half of the flight to power it through the night, according to the news agency SDA.
To enable the world’s first solar-powered all-night trip, the pilot took the the light aircraft - with its expansive wingspan of 63.4 metres covered with solar panels - to 8,500 metres Wednesday and stored the sun’s rays before descending to 1,500 metres for the night.
The pilot landed at the same airfield he used for takeoff near Payerne, in western Switzerland.
In April, the plane successfully completed its first daytime test flight.
By 2013, Piccard hopes his Solar Impulse will make it around the world and introduce an environmentally friendly form of air travel.
- Solar plane to make first cross-continent flight - Apr 25, 2012
- Solar-powered plane attempts intercontinental flight - May 25, 2012
- Solar plane takes off for test flight - Jul 08, 2010
- Swiss solar powered aircraft begins first international flight - May 13, 2011
- Solar-powered plane set for world tour - Oct 15, 2010
- Swiss solar plane makes first flight - Apr 07, 2010
- Solar plane set for test flight in night sky - Jun 17, 2010
- Solar Impulse plane completes record-breaking 24-hour flight - Jul 08, 2010
- Solar plane successfully makes first test flight - Apr 08, 2010
- Solar Plane Lands Subsequent To The Attainment Of Its Initial 24-Hour Flight - Jul 11, 2010
- Solar Plane Being Readied For Nocturnal Flight - Jun 16, 2010
- Swiss team plans to fly solar plane all night - Jun 16, 2010
- Manned Solar Plane Scheduled To Fly At Night - Jun 16, 2010
- Solar Plane Lands Safely After Flying Through The Night - Jul 11, 2010
- Solar Plane lands safely after a 24-hour flight - Jul 11, 2010
Tags: bertrand piccard, dateline, daylight hours, first night, high altitudes, light aircraft, news agency, night flight, night trip, payerne, plane lands, s rays, solar energy, solar impulse, solar panels, takeoff, test flight, thursday morning, western switzerland, wingspan