Solar Impulse 2 è atterrato mercoledì in Pennsylvania, all'aeroporto LeHigh Valley International, dopo 17 ore di volo, concludendo così senza intoppi la traversata della costa est degli Stati Uniti e la 13esima tappa del viaggio che lo sta portando a fare il giro del globo. L’apparecchio ad alimentazione esclusivamente solare era partito da Dayton (Ohio) nella notte tra lunedì e martedì.
La prossima fermata per l’aereo pilotato dallo svizzero Bertrand Piccard in alternanza con André Borschberg, sarà New York, che andrà a concludere il viaggio sopra gli USA. In seguito il velivolo dovrà sorvolare l’Atlantico, prima di raggiungere l’Europa e recarsi infine ad Abu Dhabi, da dove è partito il 9 marzo 2015.
Solar Impulse 2 ha un’apertura alare più larga che quella di un Boeing 747 e sulla sua superficie si trovano 17'000 cellule fotovoltaiche, che in piena esposizione al sole gli permettono di volare a una velocità che può raggiungere i 90 km/h (anche se la media è di 45 km/h). Di notte avanza grazie all’energia accumulata nelle batterie durante il giorno.
ats/afp/mrj
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