Solar Impulse completes transcontinental flight, runs out of complimentary peanuts

Solar Impulse completes flight, runs out of complimentary peanuts

The Impulse solar-powered plane has successfully completed its first transcontinental journey. It took 19 hours to jet between Madrid and Morocco -- with the plane's 12,000 solar cells swallowing enough power to keep it going long into the night. Pilots Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg can now look forward to planning their next voyage: a round the world cruise penciled in for 2014.

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Solar Impulse completes transcontinental flight, runs out of complimentary peanuts originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 13:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Solar Impulse takes off for Morocco on first sun-powered transcontinental flight

Solar Impulse takes off for Morocco on first sun-powered transcontinental flight

The sun-powered Solar Impulse plane is gradually working up to a trip around the globe, with the most recent benchmark being its first international flight in 2011. Now Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg are taking the jumbo jet-size plane on its first transcontinental journey. The Solar Impulse set off for Morocco today, and its pilots will stop in Madrid along the way. The goal is to complete the 1,554-mile trip by next week, and the big challenge will be crossing cloudy regions like the Pyrenees mountains separating France and Spain. In a 2010 test flight, the Impulse's 12,000 solar cells soaked up enough rays to keep the plane going through the night, but in case something goes wrong this time, the pilots are prepared with parachutes. If all goes well on this trial run, Piccard and Borschberg will be just one step away from their goal of circumnavigating the world in 2014.

Solar Impulse takes off for Morocco on first sun-powered transcontinental flight originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 15:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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