瑞士太陽能飛機開始環球飛行

A solar-powered Swiss airplane took off from Abu Dhabi early Monday on the first leg of what its creators hope will be the first around-the-world journey without any fuel.

瑞士製造的一架太陽能飛機星期一清晨從阿布扎比起飛。製造者們希望這架飛機能夠首次完成無燃料環球飛行。

The carbon fiber single-seater Solar Impulse 2 aircraft has a 72-meter wingspan, which is longer than the wingspan of a Boeing 747, and weighs about as much as a car. The 17,000 solar cells built into the wings harness the sun's energy, allowing it to fly through the night.

用碳纖維材料製造的單人座“太陽能動力2號”翼展爲72米，超過波音747，重量則僅相當於一輛汽車。安裝在機翼上的1萬7千個太陽能電池儲存能量，以供夜間飛行。

The Si2 took 12 years to build and is the brainchild of two Swiss scientists - Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg.

製造“太陽能動力2號”費時12年。設計者是瑞士科學家皮卡德和博奇伯格。