An experimental solar-powered airplane landed in Spain on Thursday, completing an unprecedented three-day flight across the Atlantic in the latest leg of its globe-circling voyage.
The Solar Impulse 2 landed in Seville in southern Spain at 0540 GMT on Thursday, ending a 71-hour, 8-minute flight which began from New York City on Monday. It was the first time a solar-powered plane has made such a journey using zero fuel and zero emissions, organisers said.
A note on the plane’s official website said the aircraft had flown 6,765 km (4,204 miles) at a maximum height of 8,534 metres (27,999 feet).
It was the 15th leg of a planned around-the-world flight which began in March 2015 from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
The wings of Solar Impulse 2, which stretch wider than those of a Boeing 747, are equipped with 17,000 solar cells that power propellers and charge batteries. The plane runs on stored energy at night.
The Aero—Club of Switzerland is responsible for validating records of the flight.
