{"id":968,"date":"2013-04-22T16:18:23","date_gmt":"2013-04-22T16:18:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/greeniverse.org\/?p=968"},"modified":"2013-04-22T16:18:23","modified_gmt":"2013-04-22T16:18:23","slug":"sun-powered-plane-completes-california-test-flight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greeniverse.com\/solar\/2013\/04\/22\/sun-powered-plane-completes-california-test-flight\/","title":{"rendered":"Sun-powered plane completes California test flight"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"The Solar Impulse is seen after landing from a test flight at Moffett Field NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif., Friday, April 19, 2013. A solar-powered plane that has wowed aviation fans in Europe is set to take an early morning test flight over the San Francisco Bay area. Considered the world's most advanced sun-powered plane, the Solar\u00a0Impulse is set to take off from Moffett Field in Mountain View at first light for a two-hour practice run leading up to the start of a multi-city, cross-country tour. (AP Photo\/Jeff Chiu)\" alt=\"The Solar Impulse is seen after landing from a test flight at Moffett Field NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif., Friday, April 19, 2013. A solar-powered plane that has wowed aviation fans in Europe is set to take an early morning test flight over the San Francisco Bay area. Considered the world's most advanced sun-powered plane, the Solar\u00a0Impulse is set to take off from Moffett Field in Mountain View at first light for a two-hour practice run leading up to the start of a multi-city, cross-country tour. (AP Photo\/Jeff Chiu)\" src=\"http:\/\/l.yimg.com\/bt\/api\/res\/1.2\/VXyGQVvGLcFjiBV1hJ2xFQ--\/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Y2g9MTU3Njtjcj0xO2N3PTI0MjM7ZHg9MDtkeT0wO2ZpPXVsY3JvcDtoPTQxMDtxPTg1O3c9NjMw\/http:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en_us\/News\/ap_webfeeds\/0b8b6f1c2b75800d2f0f6a7067001f11.jpg\" width=\"630\" height=\"410\" \/><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/news.yahoo.com\/lightbox\/solar-impulse-seen-landing-test-flight-moffett-field-photo-182310718.html\" data-ylk=\"pkg:9106b19d-f0a4-39b7-87ea-c3c1a5b15056;ver:a3025bd0-a91e-11e2-bfe3-0a5f795e7353;ct:p;\">View Photo<\/a>Associated Press\/Jeff Chiu &#8211; The Solar Impulse is seen after landing from a test flight at Moffett Field NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif., Friday, April 19, 2013. A solar-powered plane that\u00a0\u2026<a>more<b>\u00a0<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"yui_3_8_1_22_1366647314559_208\">\n<div>\n<div id=\"mediaarticlerelatedcarousel\">\n<div>\n<h3>RELATED CONTENT<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/news.yahoo.com\/lightbox\/solar-impulse-lands-during-test-flight-moffett-field-photo-182310176.html\" data-ylk=\"pkg:d946f7ce-3fbd-3ab8-bf94-c30f0a489b38;ver:a31ee480-a91e-11e2-b44f-fc5be67b5bd8;ct:p;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"The Solar Impulse lands during a test flight at Moffett Field NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif., Friday, April 19, 2013. A solar-powered plane that has wowed aviation fans in Europe is set to take an early morning test flight over the San Francisco Bay area. Considered the world's most advanced sun-powered plane, the Solar\u00a0Impulse is set to take off from Moffett Field in Mountain View at first light for a two-hour practice run leading up to the start of a multi-city, cross-country tour. (AP Photo\/Jeff Chiu)\" alt=\"The Solar Impulse lands during a test flight at Moffett Field NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif., Friday, April 19, 2013. A solar-powered plane that has wowed aviation fans in Europe is set to take an early morning test flight over the San Francisco Bay area. Considered the world's most advanced sun-powered plane, the Solar\u00a0Impulse is set to take off from Moffett Field in Mountain View at first light for a two-hour practice run leading up to the start of a multi-city, cross-country tour. (AP Photo\/Jeff Chiu)\" src=\"http:\/\/l1.yimg.com\/bt\/api\/res\/1.2\/D9kgSmQB5DTM_GAWdtM6Rw--\/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Y2g9MTU2NDtjcj0xO2N3PTI1MTQ7ZHg9MDtkeT0wO2ZpPXVsY3JvcDtoPTExOTtxPTg1O3c9MTkw\/http:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en_us\/News\/ap_webfeeds\/d0df77802b74800d2f0f6a70670090ea.jpg\" width=\"190\" height=\"119\" \/>View Photo<\/a>The Solar Impulse lands during\u00a0\u2026<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/news.yahoo.com\/lightbox\/solar-impulse-wheeled-hangar-test-flight-moffett-field-photo-182310539.html\" data-ylk=\"pkg:c14a30e6-bccf-3df8-8b51-efa0676ab47a;ver:a75959e0-a91e-11e2-abeb-8a9e683b2ca4;ct:p;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"The Solar Impulse is wheeled into a hangar after a test flight at Moffett Field NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif., Friday, April 19, 2013. A solar-powered plane that has wowed aviation fans in Europe is set to take an early morning test flight over the San Francisco Bay area. Considered the world's most advanced sun-powered plane, the Solar\u00a0Impulse is set to take off from Moffett Field in Mountain View at first light for a two-hour practice run leading up to the start of a multi-city, cross-country tour. (AP Photo\/Jeff Chiu)\" alt=\"The Solar Impulse is wheeled into a hangar after a test flight at Moffett Field NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif., Friday, April 19, 2013. A solar-powered plane that has wowed aviation fans in Europe is set to take an early morning test flight over the San Francisco Bay area. Considered the world's most advanced sun-powered plane, the Solar\u00a0Impulse is set to take off from Moffett Field in Mountain View at first light for a two-hour practice run leading up to the start of a multi-city, cross-country tour. (AP Photo\/Jeff Chiu)\" src=\"http:\/\/l1.yimg.com\/bt\/api\/res\/1.2\/EOQMZAEXSuo9P3yu8FF1UA--\/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Y2g9MTU2Mztjcj0xO2N3PTI1MDE7ZHg9MDtkeT0wO2ZpPXVsY3JvcDtoPTExOTtxPTg1O3c9MTkw\/http:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en_us\/News\/ap_webfeeds\/8b372c3a2b6f800d2f0f6a706700cb9b.jpg\" width=\"190\" height=\"119\" \/>View Photo<\/a>The Solar Impulse is wheeled into\u00a0\u2026<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"yui_3_8_1_22_1366647314559_207\">\n<div id=\"mediaarticlebody\">\n<div id=\"yui_3_8_1_22_1366647314559_206\">\n<div id=\"yui_3_8_1_22_1366647314559_205\">\n<p id=\"yui_3_8_1_22_1366647314559_214\">MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) \u2014 A solar-powered plane that has wowed\u00a0aviation fans\u00a0in Europe took to the skies Friday over the San Francisco Bay area in a\u00a0successful test flight.<\/p>\n<p id=\"yui_3_8_1_22_1366647314559_212\">Considered the world&#8217;s most advanced sun-powered plane, theSolar Impulse\u00a0took off from Moffett Field in Mountain View at first light for a two-hour practice run in advance of a planned multi-city,cross-country tour.<\/p>\n<p id=\"yui_3_8_1_22_1366647314559_204\">&#8220;That&#8217;s a mythical step in aviation,&#8221;\u00a0Andr\u00e9 Borschberg, one of the plane&#8217;s pilots and creators, said about flying cross-country. &#8220;We are something like between 1915 and 1920, compared to traditional aviation, when pioneers tried these non-stop flights.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>He said a flight around the world could occur in two years.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>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, single-seat plane cruises around 40 mph and can&#8217;t fly through clouds.<\/p>\n<p>Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard, Solar Impulse co-founder and chairman, said the plane should be ready for the cross-country journey on May 1, depending on the weather.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We like nice weather. We like sunny days,&#8221; Borschberg said.<\/p>\n<p>Stops are planned in Phoenix, Dallas, Washington, D.C., and New York. Each flight leg will take 20 to 25 hours, with 10-day stops in each city.<\/p>\n<p>Between Dallas and Washington, the plane will also stop at one of three other cities \u2014 Atlanta, Nashville or St. Louis.<\/p>\n<p>Borschberg said the plane&#8217;s creators are close to being able to launch the non-stop flights needed to go around the world.<\/p>\n<p>Using solar power, &#8220;we are close to the notion of perpetual flight,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>View PhotoAssociated Press\/Jeff Chiu &#8211; The Solar Impulse is seen after landing from a test flight at Moffett Field NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif., Friday, April 19, 2013. A solar-powered plane that\u00a0\u2026more\u00a0 RELATED CONTENT View PhotoThe Solar Impulse lands during\u00a0\u2026 View PhotoThe Solar Impulse is wheeled into\u00a0\u2026 MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) \u2014 &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greeniverse.com\/solar\/2013\/04\/22\/sun-powered-plane-completes-california-test-flight\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Sun-powered plane completes California test flight<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greeniverse.com\/solar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/968","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greeniverse.com\/solar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greeniverse.com\/solar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greeniverse.com\/solar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greeniverse.com\/solar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=968"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.greeniverse.com\/solar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/968\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greeniverse.com\/solar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greeniverse.com\/solar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greeniverse.com\/solar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}