• Solar Impulse crew members load a piece of the wing of the experimental aircraft 'Solar Impulse 2' into a Boeing 747 cargo plane at the airbase in Payerne, Switzerland. Laurent Gillieron / EPA
    Solar Impulse crew members load a piece of the wing of the experimental aircraft 'Solar Impulse 2' into a Boeing 747 cargo plane at the airbase in Payerne, Switzerland. Laurent Gillieron / EPA
  • Solar Impulse crew members prepare the cockpit of the 'Solar Impulse 2' aircraft in Switzerland. Laurent Gillieron / EPA
    Solar Impulse crew members prepare the cockpit of the 'Solar Impulse 2' aircraft in Switzerland. Laurent Gillieron / EPA
  • The Solar Impulse crew members load the aircraft inside a Boeing 747 cargo before take off to Abu Dhabi. Laurent Gillieron / EPA
    The Solar Impulse crew members load the aircraft inside a Boeing 747 cargo before take off to Abu Dhabi. Laurent Gillieron / EPA
  • The dismantled Solar Impulse 2 aircraft is pictured before being loaded into a Cargolux Boeing 747 cargo aircraft. Denis Balibouse / Reuters
    The dismantled Solar Impulse 2 aircraft is pictured before being loaded into a Cargolux Boeing 747 cargo aircraft. Denis Balibouse / Reuters
  • Solar Impulse's founder, chairman and pilot Bertrand Piccard answers questions from journalists. Laurent Gillieron / EPA
    Solar Impulse's founder, chairman and pilot Bertrand Piccard answers questions from journalists. Laurent Gillieron / EPA
  • The Boeing 747 plane will take off on January 6th, 2015 to carry the experimental aircraft Solar Impulse to Abu Dhabi. Laurent Gillieron / EPA
    The Boeing 747 plane will take off on January 6th, 2015 to carry the experimental aircraft Solar Impulse to Abu Dhabi. Laurent Gillieron / EPA
  • A 24m long wing element of sun-powered plane Solar Impulse 2 is loaded to Cargolux Boeing 747 cargo aircraft. Fabrice Coffrini / AFP PHOTO
    A 24m long wing element of sun-powered plane Solar Impulse 2 is loaded to Cargolux Boeing 747 cargo aircraft. Fabrice Coffrini / AFP PHOTO
  • The main goal of the Solar Impulse project is to circumnavigate the world, in March 2015 from Abu Dhabi. Laurent Gillieron / EPA
    The main goal of the Solar Impulse project is to circumnavigate the world, in March 2015 from Abu Dhabi. Laurent Gillieron / EPA
  • A piece of the wing of the 'Solar Impulse 2' aircraft is loaded into a Boeing 747 cargo plane. Laurent Gillieron / EPA
    A piece of the wing of the 'Solar Impulse 2' aircraft is loaded into a Boeing 747 cargo plane. Laurent Gillieron / EPA
  • The wings of the dismantled Solar Impulse 2 aircraft are pictured before being loaded into a Cargolux Boeing 747 cargo aircraft at Payerne airport. Denis Balibouse / Reuters
    The wings of the dismantled Solar Impulse 2 aircraft are pictured before being loaded into a Cargolux Boeing 747 cargo aircraft at Payerne airport. Denis Balibouse / Reuters
  • A Cargolux Boeing 747 cargo aircraft lands at Payerne airport. Fabrice Coffrini / AFP PHOTO
    A Cargolux Boeing 747 cargo aircraft lands at Payerne airport. Fabrice Coffrini / AFP PHOTO

UAE

Solar Impulse aircraft set to arrive in Abu Dhabi - in pictures

Julie Nicholson

January 07, 2015

  • English
  • Arabic

The Solar Impulse team and its aircraft, Solar Impulse 2, are on-board a Boeing 747 cargo plane, which is set to arrive in Abu Dhabi from Payerne, Switzerland, this week.

The cargo plane was expected to take off early on Tuesday morning to bring the Solar Impulse aircraft to the UAE, where it will remain for two months in preparation for take-off later this year.

The aircraft, weighs 2.4 tons, has a wingspan of 72 meters and is fitted with more than 17,000 solar cells.

The Solar Impulse project involves circumnavigating the world beginning in March and leaving from Abu Dhabi.

The Swiss pilots, Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg, will take turns flying.

Solar Impulse is partnering with the Masdar Institute to complete the project.

jnicholson@thenational.ae

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