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IPFS News Link • Transportation: Air Travel

Solar Impulse 2 lands in Hawaii

• gizmag.com

With pilot André Borschberg at the controls, the solar-powered, single-pilot aircraft touched down today at Kalaeloa Airport just west of Honolulu on the island of Oahu at 5:55 HAST (15:55 GMT).

Today's landing ends the eighth leg of the Solar Impulse 2 circumnavigation flight. After leaving Nagoya, Japan on June 29, Solar Impulse 2 was in the air for five consecutive days and nights with Borschberg subsisting on catnaps of 5 to 20 minutes at a time. The aircraft covered 4,480 mi (7.209 km) as it broke endurance records for distance and duration for a solar-powered aircraft, as well as setting a new record for the longest-ever solo flight with a time of 117 hours and 52 minutes. It reached an altitude of 8,634 m (28,000 ft) and a cruising speed of 61.19 km/h (38.02 mph).

With its 72-m (236-ft) wingspan, the Solar Impulse 2 is wider than a Boeing 747-8I, but weighs only about 2,300 kg (5,070 lb). It's made out of carbon fiber, employing a light single-ply technology used in competitive yachting, making it three times lighter than paper.


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