London: A revolutionary solar-powered plane, that will try to fly around the world next year, has successfully made its inaugural test flight in Switzerland.
The Solar Impulse 2 vehicle lifted off from Payerne aerodrome in Switzerland today and returned two hours later.
The single-seater aircraft, with which Swiss pioneers Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg are attempting to carry out the first solar-powered flight around the world in 2015, is the first able to fly day and night without fuel or polluting emissions.
For 2 hours and 17 minutes, professional test pilot Marcus Scherdel was able to trial the aircraft's performance in the skies.
The initial results are in line with calculations and simulations. There will be several other flights taking place in the coming months in order for this experim ental machine to attain certification.
