The Haney Energy Saving Group: Solar-powered plane Solar Impulse 2 finally takes-off in China

The Swiss-engineered aircraft Solar Impulse 2, which aims to travel around the world using only solar power, has finally taken off on its sixth flight from Chongqing to Nanjing China according to The Haney Energy Saving Group report. It arrived at Chongqing airport from Myanmar on March 31.

The flight was delayed for three weeks due to bad weather conditions. The plane isn’t meant to fly in stormy weather so the team must wait for weather forecasters to give the go-ahead.

Bertrand Piccard, co-founder of the project, is piloting the plane for the 1,190-kilometer flight to the eastern city of Nanjing.

The journey is expected to take 20 hours and 29 minutes, depending on weather conditions that could force the aircraft to change its direction from the straightest path between the two cities. It is expected to arrive in Nanjing about 9pm Abu Dhabi time.

Nanjing will be the last stop of the aircraft in Asia before Andre Borschberg, chief engineer and co-pilot, is set to make a trans-Pacific crossing to Hawaii that is expected to take at least five days.

Solar Impulse 2 is capable of flying over oceans for several days and nights and is expected to travel 35,000 km around the world and is scheduled to take in 12 stops, with a total flight time of around 25 days over the course of roughly five months. It will pass over the Arabian Sea, India, Myanmar, China and the Pacific Ocean.

The team behind Solar Impulse 2, which has more than 17,000 solar cells built into its wings and fuselage, hopes to promote green energy with its round the world attempt.

The aircraft store up energy during the day, in order to power the motors that carry it through the night.

After traveling around the globe, the aircraft is expected to arrive back in Abu Dhabi, UAE in late July or early August where it started its voyage on March 9.