Solar-powered plane embarks on flights across Pacific Ocean

A solar-powered plane has embarked from Japan in a potential record-breaking flight across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii.

Solar Impulse II took off from Nagoya Airfield in Japan at 18:03 GMT on Sunday and is scheduled to land in Hawaii in approximately 120 hours.

Solar Impulse said on its website that the plane’s pilot Andre Borschberg had passed the point of no return and must now see this flight through to the end.

If the pilot succeeds in his mission, it will be the longest-duration solo flight in aviation history, as well as the furthest distance flown by a craft that is solely powered by the Sun.

Solar Impulse 2- which has 17,000 solar cells- left Abu Dhabi on March 9 and has since flown seven legs out of 13 in an attempt to be the first single manned solar-powered plane to fly around the world. The five-day leg from Japan to Hawaii is regarded as the most challenging part of the journey, and team behind the Solar Impulse 2 were forced to wait almost two months for a clear weather window.

Borschberg will spend the entire flight strapped into his seat in a cockpit that is about the same size as a telephone booth. He will only be able to take 20-minute cat-naps, but says he will meditate and use yoga to make his journey more comfortable.

If the flight to Hawaii succeeds, the plane will continue its journey around the world, with Bertrand Piccard taking the controls for the next Pacific crossing from Hawaii to the US mainland. The plane will then travel across North America, before attempting to fly over the Atlantic.