Be Eco Friendly

The world’s first solar airplane, the Solar Impulse, passed its first flight test with flying colors — in preparation for a round-the-world trip. The next step will be to see if it’s capable of staying aloft in the dark.

The plane itself is a sight to see, with the same 200-foot wingspan as a Boeing 747, covered in 12,000 solar panels. The cockpit is comparably tiny, and the total machine weighs just 1.7 tons. Its 40-horsepower engine doesn’t take it nearly as fast and far as its fuel-powered peers. During today’s test, lasting just under an hour and a half in the air, it reached a top speed of 44 miles per hour and an altitude of about 4,000 feet.

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