Swiss unveil new solar plane for global flight

A Swiss team planning to complete the first round-the-world solar flight next year unveiled a new version of their unique aircraft yesterday, which they say could remain in the air indefinitely.

Pilots Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg said the Solar Impulse 2 improves upon the single-seater prototype that first took flight five years ago, and which has since demonstrated that a solar-powered plane can fly through the night, between two continents and across the United States.

The updated plane presented to the world at the Payerne Air Force Base in Switzerland has better batteries for storing energy soaked up from the sun by the 7,200 solar cells that cover its massive wings.