Beijing, March 31 (IANS) The Solar Impulse (Si2), the solar-powered aircraft on a mission to fly around the globe without a drop of fuel, reached Chongqing city in China on Tuesday.
The aircraft, piloted by the Swiss project chairman Bertrand Piccard, departed from Myanmar’s second largest city of Mandalay on Monday morning, Xinhua reported.
Capable of flying over oceans for several days and nights in a row, the single-seater Si2, which started its journey from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on March 9, will travel 35,000 km around the world in 25 days.
The plane will head for China’s Nanjing City after a short stay in Chongqing.
In the past month, the Si2 set two world records for manned solar-powered flight.
The first was for the longest distance covered on a single journey — that of 1,468 km between Muscat in Oman and Ahmedabad in India.
The second was for a groundspeed of 117 knots (216 kmph), which was achieved during the flight from Varanasi in India to Mandalay.
After travelling around the globe, the Si2 is expected to arrive back in Abu Dhabi in late July or early August.