The first attempt to fly around the world in a plane using solar energy has launched in Abu Dhabi, in a landmark journey aimed at promoting green energy.
The takeoff of Solar Impulse 2, which was delayed on Saturday due to high winds, capped 13 years of research and testing by Swiss pilots Andre Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard.
“This project is a human project, it is a human challenge,” Mr Borschberg, the co-founder and chief executive of Solar Impulse, said on Sunday.
The wingspan of the one-seater plane, known as the Si2, is slightly bigger than that of a jumbo jet, but its weight is around that of a family car.
The plane, piloted by Mr Borschberg, took off from Al-Bateen airport at 7:12am (local time).
It is expected to land in Muscat, the capital of Oman, later on Monday after the first leg of the journey.
From Muscat, it will make 12 stops on an epic journey spread over five months, with a total flight time of around 25 days.
It will cross the Arabian Sea to India before heading on to Myanmar, China, Hawaii and New York.
Landings are also earmarked for the Midwestern United States and either southern Europe or North Africa, depending on weather conditions.
The longest single leg will see a lone pilot fly non-stop for five days across the Pacific Ocean between Nanjing in China and Hawaii, a distance of 8,500 kilometres.
Mr Borschberg and Mr Piccard will alternate turns at the controls because the plane can hold only one person.
Rohit Reddy Hyderabad 