Swiss pilot Bertrand Piccard raises a bottle of champagne after landing the Solar Impulse 2 plane on April 22, 2015, at Nanjing Lukou International Airport, Jiangsu Province. (Photo : Reuters)
The fuel-free, solar airplane Solar Impulse 2 landed in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province, on the night of April 21, Tuesday, for its last stop in its Asian tour, the Global Times reported.
The report said that the solar plane's Nanjing stop is the culmination of its journey in Asia, becoming the first aircraft with zero emissions to fly around the world.
"We were stuck in Chongqing for three weeks due to weather conditions, but finally we made it. Reaching China is one of our flight goals," the aircraft's pilot, Bertrand Piccard, said at a press conference held in Nanjing.
Piccard added that the plane represents a new cycle of innovation which uses no fuel.
The Swiss experimental solar-powered aircraft project was initiated by Piccard and Swiss businessman Andre Borschberg and was started in 2003. The plane's wings measure 72 meters to ensure the minimum wind resistance and enable it to carry large solar panels.
The plane's global partners and technology providers include the France-based Dassault Systemes and Switzerland's automation technology company ABB Group, which ensured a safe and secure flight for the aircraft, the report said.
Wang Haofeng, general manager of Greater China for Dassault Systemes, told the Global Times Wednesday that the plane's structure was designed by the engineers through a 3D experience platform that enabled them to balance the weight, size and pressure.
The Solar Impulse team said that the plane will be leaving Nanjing next month on its way to Hawaii by crossing the Pacific Ocean.
Borschberg, who is now in Switzerland due to medical reasons, is set to return to China and fly the next route for five days without stopping.
