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| Solar Impulse plane closes in on Hawaii landing | Solar Impulse plane closes in on Hawaii landing |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Andre Borschberg is into the final hours of his historic solar-powered flight across the Pacific. | Andre Borschberg is into the final hours of his historic solar-powered flight across the Pacific. |
| The Swiss adventurer is due to land at Kalaeloa, Hawaii, around 06:00 local time (1600 GMT; 17:00 BST) after an epic five-day trip from Japan. | The Swiss adventurer is due to land at Kalaeloa, Hawaii, around 06:00 local time (1600 GMT; 17:00 BST) after an epic five-day trip from Japan. |
| His Solar Impulse aeroplane has covered 8,000km this week, in what was always going to be the toughest leg in the quest to fly around the world. | His Solar Impulse aeroplane has covered 8,000km this week, in what was always going to be the toughest leg in the quest to fly around the world. |
| Wind conditions will determine the precise moment Mr Borschberg puts down. | Wind conditions will determine the precise moment Mr Borschberg puts down. |
| His very lightweight vehicle, with its huge, 72m wingspan, needs calm air. | His very lightweight vehicle, with its huge, 72m wingspan, needs calm air. |
| And the pilot will be instructed to circle in front of Kalaeloa airport until meteorologists give him the all clear. | And the pilot will be instructed to circle in front of Kalaeloa airport until meteorologists give him the all clear. |
| There to meet Mr Borschberg on the ground will be his partner on the Solar Impulse project, Bertrand Piccard. | There to meet Mr Borschberg on the ground will be his partner on the Solar Impulse project, Bertrand Piccard. |
| The pair have shared the flying duties in the single-seater plane's global effort, which began in Abu Dhabi, UAE, back in March. | The pair have shared the flying duties in the single-seater plane's global effort, which began in Abu Dhabi, UAE, back in March. |
| It is Mr Piccard who will fly the next leg from Kalaeloa to Phoenix, Arizona. | It is Mr Piccard who will fly the next leg from Kalaeloa to Phoenix, Arizona. |
| That is not quite as far as the current stint, but it still likely to take four days and nights. | That is not quite as far as the current stint, but it still likely to take four days and nights. |
| From Phoenix, Solar Impulse will head for New York and an Atlantic crossing that would eventually see the plane return to Abu Dhabi. | From Phoenix, Solar Impulse will head for New York and an Atlantic crossing that would eventually see the plane return to Abu Dhabi. |
| But the Solar Impulse ground crew will need a few days first in Kalaeloa to check over the aircraft, before meteorologists once again take on the tricky task of finding a flight window. | But the Solar Impulse ground crew will need a few days first in Kalaeloa to check over the aircraft, before meteorologists once again take on the tricky task of finding a flight window. |
| Getting from China to Hawaii proved more problematic than anyone could have imagined. | Getting from China to Hawaii proved more problematic than anyone could have imagined. |
| The project was stuck in Nanjing for five weeks before the first attempt to cross the ocean was made. | The project was stuck in Nanjing for five weeks before the first attempt to cross the ocean was made. |
| This had to be aborted because of a sudden deterioration in the weather, and the plane was diverted to Nagoya. | This had to be aborted because of a sudden deterioration in the weather, and the plane was diverted to Nagoya. |
| One further attempt was then abandoned moments from take-off, before Solar Impulse finally got a clear run out of Japan on Monday. | One further attempt was then abandoned moments from take-off, before Solar Impulse finally got a clear run out of Japan on Monday. |
| Even so, Mr Borschberg had to cross two cold fronts and endure some uncomfortable turbulence. That bumpiness disrupted his already truncated sleep opportunities. | Even so, Mr Borschberg had to cross two cold fronts and endure some uncomfortable turbulence. That bumpiness disrupted his already truncated sleep opportunities. |
| Over the course of the past week, the pilot has been permitted only 20-minute catnaps. | Over the course of the past week, the pilot has been permitted only 20-minute catnaps. |
| The journey from Nagoya to Kalaeloa smashes the absolute distance and duration world records for manned solar-powered aeroplanes - records that Solar Impulse itself set on earlier flights. | The journey from Nagoya to Kalaeloa smashes the absolute distance and duration world records for manned solar-powered aeroplanes - records that Solar Impulse itself set on earlier flights. |
| In terms of general aviation, the big record broken on this flight is the 2006 mark established by the American adventurer Steve Fossett for the longest duration solo flight in an un-refuelled plane. | In terms of general aviation, the big record broken on this flight is the 2006 mark established by the American adventurer Steve Fossett for the longest duration solo flight in an un-refuelled plane. |
| Mr Fossett set this record in a jet-powered plane, the Virgin GlobalFlyer. Mr Borschberg bettered it when he went through 76 hours in the air. And if he lands at the expected time of 06:00, he will raise the mark still further to 118 hours. | Mr Fossett set this record in a jet-powered plane, the Virgin GlobalFlyer. Mr Borschberg bettered it when he went through 76 hours in the air. And if he lands at the expected time of 06:00, he will raise the mark still further to 118 hours. |
| Borschberg and Piccard have used the various stopovers on their round-the-world journey to carry a campaigning message to local people on the topic of clean technologies. | Borschberg and Piccard have used the various stopovers on their round-the-world journey to carry a campaigning message to local people on the topic of clean technologies. |
| Their Solar Impulse plane is not intended to be a vision of the future of aviation. Rather, it is supposed to be a demonstration of the current capabilities of solar power in general. | Their Solar Impulse plane is not intended to be a vision of the future of aviation. Rather, it is supposed to be a demonstration of the current capabilities of solar power in general. |
| The vehicle is covered in 17,000 photovoltaic cells. These either power the vehicle's electric motors directly, or charge its lithium-ion batteries, which sustain the plane during the night hours. | The vehicle is covered in 17,000 photovoltaic cells. These either power the vehicle's electric motors directly, or charge its lithium-ion batteries, which sustain the plane during the night hours. |
| LEG 1: 9 March. Abu Dhabi (UAE) to Muscat (Oman) - 772km; in 13 hours and 1 minute | |
| LEG 2: 10 March. Muscat (Oman) to Ahmedabad (India) - 1,593km; in 15 hours and 20 minutes | |
| LEG 3: 18 March. Ahmedabad (India) to Varanasi (India) - 1,170km; in 13 hours and 15 minutes | |
| LEG 4: 18 March. Varanasi (India) to Mandalay (Myanmar) - 1,536km; in 13 hours and 29 minutes | |
| LEG 5: 29 March. Mandalay (Myanmar) to Chongqing (China) - 1,450km; in 20 hours and 29 minutes | |
| LEG 6: 21 April. Chongqing (China) to Nanjing (China) - 1,241km; in 17 hours and 22 minutes | |
| LEG 7: 30 May. Nanjing (China) to Nagoya (Japan) - 2,852km; in 44 hours and 9 minutes | |
| Leg 8: 28 June. Nagoya (Japan) to Kalaeloa, Hawaii (USA) - 8,000km; 118 hours (estimated) |