The aircraft Solar Impulse 2 took off Monday morning in Abu Dhabi for a round the world record, powered only by solar energy in order to promote the use of renewable energies.
The appliance revolutionary, using no fuel off at 07h12 local (03h12 GMT) in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, shortly before sunrise, with light breeze on the track in the small Al Bateen Airport.
Solar Impulse 2 sailed east and the first step is to Muscat, the capital of the Sultanate of Oman, where he is expected at the end of the day. The journey of 400 km should last 12 hours.
The two Swiss pilots in uniform orange, André Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard, made last night inspections Borschberg was installed in the aircraft cabin car the applause of his team.
The launch of Abou Dhabi, scheduled to start on Saturday, was delayed by wind sources in the region throughout the weekend.
First of all, it is “a human challenge,” he said André Borschberg.
Around the World in twelve steps is the result of 13 years of research by Borschberg and Piccard that beyond the scientific feat, want to convey a political message.
“We want to share our vision of a cleaner future,” said Piccard, and stressed that this mission should contribute to the fight against global warming .
“Climate change presents a fantastic opportunity to bring to market new green technologies” that will help “preserve the natural resources of our planet, create jobs and sustain growth” budget, he said.
The idea of flying through solar energy alone was originally the laughingstock of the aviation industry.
Piccard, scion of a dynasty of Swiss scientist-adventurers, gave the first round the world nonstop balloon in 1999.
The aircraft, named SI2 (Solar Impulse 2), is powered by 17,000 solar cells lining wings of 72 meters, almost as long as those of an Airbus A380 .
But the SI2, conceived in carbon fiber, weighs about 2.5 tons, much as a car all familiar ground, less than 1% of the weight of the A380.
In total, the unit will travel 35,000 km at a relatively modest rate (between 50 and 100 km / h) and fly over two oceans, the Pacific and Atlantic.
This Cincunvalacion, at 8,500 meters at most, will take five months, including 25 days of actual flight. The return is scheduled to Abu Dhabi in late July or early August.
Piccard will be in the cockpit when the plane lands back in the UAE, if all goes well.
After Oman, the following destinations are India and Burma, before the longest leg of the journey: five consecutive days of flying single pilot in charge of going Nanking, China, the US islands of Hawaii in the Pacific.
Piccard said the public can “follow live everything we do in the cabin” and “central mission control in Monaco” in the active site “solarimpulse.com”.
said that a petition was launched to promote renewable energy among the general public in the futureisclean.org page
A total of 130 people participated in the adventure: 65 will accompany the riders around the world (under the logistic support) and 65 will be in Monaco in the control center of the mission (meteorologists, air traffic controllers and engineers).
The Solar Impulse 2 is the successor of the first prototype The Solar Impulse 1, which allowed its creators to make several long flights in Europe and Morocco and be the first to cross the United States in 2013, with several scales, on a plane of this type.
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