Avião Solar Impulse, apoiado pelos relógios Omega, bate recorde de distância

O avião Solar Impulse 2, patrocinado entre outros pelos relógios Omega, acaba de cumprir a segunda etapa do projecto de volta ao mundo alimentada apenas a energia solar, e bateu mais um recorde.

O Solar Impulse viajou a distância recorde de 1.468 km entre Muscat (Oman) e Ahmedabad (Índia), gastando 13 horas e 20 minutos. Era pilotado por Bertrand Piccard. O outro piloto, André Borschberg, deverá conduzir o aparelho na próxima etapa, Varanasi (Índia), seguindo-se Mandalay (Myanmar), antes da chegada à China. O avião tem lugar para apenas um tripulante.

O comunicado:

Ahmedabad –March 10, 2015: After an eleven hour pit-stop in Muscat (Oman) made by Solar Impulse’s CEO and co-founder André Borschberg, the attempt of achieving the First Round-The-World Solar Flight continued onwards to India. Bertrand Piccard piloted Solar Impulse 2 (Si2) from Muscat to Ahmedabad (India), flying across the Arabian Sea and setting a distance world record for straight distance, pre-declared waypoints record by travelling 1,468 km during Si2’s flight (subject to validation by FAI [Fédération Aéronautique Internationale). The record of straight distance, pre-declared waypoints 1,386.5 km was previously held by André Borschberg during the Si1 Across America mission in 2013. The landing in Ahmedabad occurred at 11:25pm local time (5:55pm GMT) after 13 hours and 20 minutes of flight, reaching an altitude of 8,534 meters with a ground speed of roughly 100 knots.

"More important to us than the world record is the fact that Solar Impulse 2 is the first solar airplane to fly in Asia. It is also an honor of being welcomed by the state of Gujarat, a visionary state which leads India in terms of solar installation”, said Piccard and Borschberg.

The Solar Impulse team will stay 4 days in Ahmedabad for visits and events organized with the support of partners in order to promote renewable energies and clean technologies, like the ones making it possible for this revolutionary prototype to fly day and night with zero fuel.

The next legs of the round the world attempt will include Varanasi and Mandalay (Myanmar) before reaching China. The pilots and co-founders of Solar Impulse will continue to take turns flying in the single-seater aircraft.