Solar-Powered Plane's Cross-Country Flight

        Researchers at Moffett Air Field at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, announced on March 28 that Solar Impulse, an ultra-lightweight plane solely powered by solar power, is planned to fly coast-to-coast this spring. The plane is claimed to require no fuel and solely rely on solar panels and battery power.
        Two Swiss pilots of the Solar Impulse, Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg, desire to complete a flight beginning from Moffett Field to New York City. Along the way, it is planned to stop by in the following locations: Phoenix, Arizona, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Washington, D.C., and either Nashville, Tennessee, Atlanta, Georgia, or St. Louis. The plane is set to fly on May 1 and plans to land in the Big Apple in early July.
         Solar Impulse has a wingspan equivalent to a 747 jetliner, the weight of a station wagon, and the power needs of a small scooter. The solar panels across its wings harness power from the sun during the day, and lithium-polymer batteries store that energy for overnight trips. A carbon-fiber material formed in a honeycomb structure makes up the bulk of the plane, which allows for its feather-weight.
        In 2010, the plane completed a 26 overnight-hour flight and in 2012, it flew from Switzerland to Morocco with no fuel.