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| Solar Impulse 2 landing in Abu Dhabi on July 26, completing its world tour. Photo: Solar Impulse |
[Avionics Today 07-26-2016] Solar Impulse 2 (Si2), a zero-emission electric and solar airplane, capable of flying day and night without fuel, landed in Abu Dhabi on July 26, completing its around-the-world flight without a drop of fuel. Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg took turns at the controls during the journey, which included 23 days of flight over 43,041 km, travelled through 17 legs. The flight did suffer a setback in Hawii last year, when the batteries overheated during the longest leg of its flight.
Having completed the historic journey, the two Swiss pioneers will continue to urge the global implementation of energy-efficient solutions through the creation of the International Committee for Clean Technologies and leverage the expertise and technology gained over the years in Solar Impulse by launching new innovative projects, such as the development of solar powered drones.