MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) — A solar-powered plane that has wowed aviation fans in Europe is preparing to fly across North America.
The Swiss creators of the Solar Impulse are announcing today which U.S. cities the experimental plane will visit during its “Across America” tour that kicks off in May.
Bertrand Piccard and Andri Borschberg will display the aircraft and discuss the cross-country trip at a news conference at the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View.
The Solar Impulse is powered by about 12,000 photovoltaic cells that cover massive wings and charge its batteries, allowing it to fly day and night without jet fuel. It has the wing span of a commercial airplane but the weight of the average family car, making it vulnerable to bad weather.
Its creators say the Solar Impulse is designed to showcase the potential of solar power and will never replace fuel-powered commercial flights. The delicate, singleseat plane cruises around 40 miles per hour and can’t fly through clouds.
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