瑞士太阳能飞机开始环球飞行

A solar-powered Swiss airplane took off from Abu Dhabi early Monday on the first leg of what its creators hope will be the first around-the-world journey without any fuel.

瑞士制造的一架太阳能飞机星期一清晨从阿布扎比起飞。制造者们希望这架飞机能够首次完成无燃料环球飞行。

The carbon fiber single-seater Solar Impulse 2 aircraft has a 72-meter wingspan, which is longer than the wingspan of a Boeing 747, and weighs about as much as a car. The 17,000 solar cells built into the wings harness the sun's energy, allowing it to fly through the night.

用碳纤维材料制造的单人座“太阳能动力2号”翼展为72米，超过波音747，重量则仅相当于一辆汽车。安装在机翼上的1万7千个太阳能电池储存能量，以供夜间飞行。

The Si2 took 12 years to build and is the brainchild of two Swiss scientists - Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg.

制造“太阳能动力2号”费时12年。设计者是瑞士科学家皮卡德和博奇伯格。