Solar Impulse has chalked up another 1600km in its bid to circumnavigate the globe. The all-electric solar-powered aeroplane successfully flew from Phoenix to Tulsa, landing in the dead of night.
Image: Solar Impulse
The flight took just over 18 hours, with the aeroplane — under the control of Bertrand Piccard — managing to hit an average speed of just 87km/h. The aeroplane uses 17,000 solar panels on its wing to charge 942kg of lithium battery, so there’s a lot of weight to carry, hence the slow speeds.
Now the rest of the journey remains: On to New York, Europe or North Africa, and then finally Abu Dhabi, where the attempt started. There’s a little way to go yet.