The ecological plane Solar Impulse 2 broke the record for flying solo in his attempt to circumnavigate the globe without consuming more than a load of fuel when it landed in Hawaii on Friday and met the most difficult stage of their journey.
Earlier, the hydrofoil of the same name, a sort of winged trimaran, docked in the same American archipelago in the Pacific after leaving from Los Angeles ten days ago.
Instead the plane Solar Impulse 2 piloted by the Swiss aviator veteran Andre Borschberg, took five days to cover the historic journey of about 8,200 km from Japan to Hawaii. The solar-powered ship landed gently at 16:00 GMT airport Kalaeloa the main Hawaiian island Oahu.
“We just landed in Hawaii with @ SolarImpulse! ToBertrandPiccard and for me is a dream come true, “Borschberg tweeted triumphantly after completing the most dangerous leg of his world tour.
Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard have been alternating to fly solo Solar Impulse during this challenge. This last stage, from Japan to Hawaii, has touched Borschberg and is the eighth of the thirteen scales provided.
His colleague adventure Piccard, showed his enthusiasm for the arrival of the aircraft and the pilot. “It’s hard to believe what I see: the Solar Impulse 2 in HawaiiAndreBorschberg But I never doubted that I could do,” tweeted. Hawaiian experimental plane touched down shortly after dawn from the cheers and applause of ground equipment.
tried not only the longest journey -both in time and performing distancia– powered aircraft solar , but also flyer broke the record of flight longer alone in the world.
The trip left exhausted the pilot and his team said on Thursday when They are missing just over 1,000 kilometers to get that last 24 hours had been “particularly difficult”.
Easy Record
The journey from Japan to Hawaii it took exactly four days and 22 hours, during which the airman slept naps of 20 minutes to maintain control of the ship.
Borschberg easily broke the previous record solo flight, set by Steve Fossett to navigate 76 hours and 45 minutes in 2006. His rival and colleague Richard Branson, also an aviator, tweeted his congratulations to Borschberg just before your competitor to land.
“Congratulations @ SolarImpulse byVirginGlobalFlyer break the record for a solo trip, nonstop and without refueling. It is a big step forward, “he said. Borschberg traveled alone and depended entirely on himself in a non-pressurized cabin of 3.8 cubic meters. On the occasions when he went to altitudes of more than nine thousand meters, had to use oxygen tanks to breathe .
The Solar Impulse 2, which departed from Abu Dhabi earlier this year, has 17 000 photovoltaic cells on its wings and a rechargeable battery that allows you to fly for the night. Its wingspan is greater than that of a jumbo jet but weighs only 2.3 tons, about the same as a car.
The trimaran also arrives but no record
Earlier, the Solar hydrofoil Impulse piloted by Alain Thébault, a kind of winged trimaran, came to the island after sailing ten days (more than 2.215 miles nautical , 4,102 km) from Los Angeles (California, western United States). But failed to beat the 2005 record of Olivier de Kersauson, as initially hoped the navigator.
However, “the hydrofoil is becomes the first flying hydrofoil sailboat crossing an ocean. The record of the Trans journey has not been beaten, “the team said in a statement hydrofoil.
But,” despite the clearly unfavorable conditions, Alain Thébault and his crew made the decision to run for not miss a historic meeting “with the solar airplane Solar Impulse 2 added.
” A meeting of two monsters of technology, two pioneers in this area with a one message: + Use clean energy + (use clean energy), “said the text
The hydrofoil, a trimaran of 18.28 meters, sailing slowly, but when the wind speeds stands on its sails, folded. 45 degrees on some oblique planes. In 2009 he set a speed record for sailing, more than 80 and 100 knots (150 to 180 km / hour).
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