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Solar plane breaks world record

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Solar Impulse 2, the plane attempting to fly around the world powered only by the Sun, has completed the second stage of its journey and broken an important record.

By flying the 1,468km  from Muscat in Oman to Ahmedabad in India, it set a new record for the longest distance covered by a solar powered plane.

The flight took about 15 hours.

The latest stage of its journey means the mission is two legs down, with 10 more to go to make it round the world.

ABOUT THE PLANE
The plane weighs 2,300kg, about the same as a standard family car.
With wings 72m wide, the same as a Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet – it’s really light, and that allows it to be powered with as little power as possible.
The super-wide wings allow it to take advantage of air currents to glide without the need for much power.
It’ll also fly much, much slower than jet planes do – its top speed will be 62mph, 10 times slower than most jets.
So the plane can carry smaller, lighter batteries to store energy at night.



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