A Plane Just Flew Around The World Without A Single Drop Of Fuel

[FluffyCorleone]

A Plane Just Flew Around The World Without A Single Drop Of Fuel

More than a year after it first took to the skies, a solar-powered plane has completed an epic around-the-world journey without burning a single drop of fuel.

The revolutionary, single-seat Solar Impulse 2 touched down Tuesday morning in Abu Dhabi, at the same airport where it embarked back in March 2015. Over the last 16 months, Swiss aviator Bertrand Piccard and fellow pilot Andre Borschberg took turns flying the aircraft nearly 27,000 miles, tallying eight world records along the way.

Speaking to those gathered on the runway at Al Bateen Executive Airport in Abu Dhabi, Piccard said the journey is more than just a triumph for aviation ― it’s a major achievement in energy.

“We have traveled 40,000 kilometers without fuel. Now it’s your turn to take it further,” Piccard said. “We have enough solutions, enough technologies. We should never accept the world to be polluted only because people are scared to think in another way. The future is clean, the future is you, the future is now.”

The aircraft is made mostly of carbon fiber and is powered by 17,248 solar cellsattached to its wings, which recharge four lithium polymer batteries. Despite its 236-foot wingspan, it weighs roughly the same as a Ford Explorer ― nearly 200 times lighter than a Boeing 747. It reaches a top speed of 90 mph.

Solar Impulse 2’s worldwide tour included stops in India, China, Japan, Italy, Spain and several U.S. locations, including Hawaii, San Francisco, Phoenix, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and New York. The last of the trip’s 17 legs took the aircraft from Cairo to Abu Dhabi, a total of 1,674 miles in a little over 48 hours.

 

[MikeyC]

Game changer. :antoniobanderas2:

 

[Mowgli]

Does it want a cookie?

 

[onlylno]

That's cool I guess


But I don't own a plane; so This doesn't mean jack shyt to me.

 

[newworldafro]

That disruptive technology

 

[KOohbt]

That's cool I guess


But I don't own a plane; so This doesn't mean jack shyt to me.

 

[Larry Lambo]

The last leg was 48 hours????? Somebody flew a plane for 48 hours straight?

 

[Quiet Magician]

Will be bought out by the oil companies.

Oil companies make hundreds of millions and all they have to do is flash some of that money their way, boom gone.

 

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

OK so make another hov flight

 

[MikeyC]

So @ridedolo, you gonna refute what I said with facts n figures or run around negging folks like a little bytch when they don't agree with you?

 

[LightSkinYeshua]

What if they fly at night?

 

[iBrowse]

Game changer. :antoniobanderas2:

MikeyC 's post received the following reputation(s)

1. -10
   Given: 29 minutes ago
   ridedolo commented: (for who? lol -10 for sounding stupid.)
   
   
   

 

[keepemup]

What if they fly at night?

It's got batteries.

 

[SheWantTheD]

This is the type of shyt I wanna be doing. World changing events that someone makes a movie about in 10-20+ years.

Gotta be making moves ouchea, not working a job like errybody else!

 

[hu3ypdadon]

Make traveling dumb cheap now