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"gewg_" writes:

Swiss engineering team Solar Impulse has unveiled [theregister.co.uk] the craft that will take a round-the-world trip powered solely by photovoltaic power cells.

Solar Impulse 2 has a wingspan [wp.com] of 72 meters (236 feet).
Most of its 2,300kg (5,000lb) is batteries and four 17.5hp electric motors (94 percent efficient).
Its horizontal surfaces are covered [zenfs.com] with solar cells (23 percent efficient).

The pilot will be the limiting factor, experiencing temperatures ranging from -40 C to 40 C (-40 F to 104 F), so landing periodically to get a fresh human will be necessary.

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