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| Solar Impulse: Zero-fuel plane leaves Seville for Cairo | Solar Impulse: Zero-fuel plane leaves Seville for Cairo |
| (2 days later) | |
| Solar Impulse has begun what should be its penultimate flight, leaving Seville in Spain bound for Cairo in Egypt. | Solar Impulse has begun what should be its penultimate flight, leaving Seville in Spain bound for Cairo in Egypt. |
| It should take the zero-fuel aircraft somewhere between 48 and 72 hours, depending on the weather conditions encountered en route. | It should take the zero-fuel aircraft somewhere between 48 and 72 hours, depending on the weather conditions encountered en route. |
| Solar Impulse is now in the home straight of its bid to circumnavigate the globe. | Solar Impulse is now in the home straight of its bid to circumnavigate the globe. |
| After this leg, there is just the final hop to Abu Dhabi where the challenge began in March 2015. | After this leg, there is just the final hop to Abu Dhabi where the challenge began in March 2015. |
| The two pilots who have shared the flying duties around the world are each taking one more turn at the controls. | The two pilots who have shared the flying duties around the world are each taking one more turn at the controls. |
| Andre Borschberg is running the Seville-Cairo stage; Bertrand Piccard will complete the challenge by taking Solar Impulse back into the UAE. | Andre Borschberg is running the Seville-Cairo stage; Bertrand Piccard will complete the challenge by taking Solar Impulse back into the UAE. |
| Mission managers want to land in Egypt in the morning when the winds and temperatures will be most favourable. | Mission managers want to land in Egypt in the morning when the winds and temperatures will be most favourable. |
| And they will have to be particularly careful not to expose the solar cells on the plane to too much heat when it is stationary on the ground in Cairo. | And they will have to be particularly careful not to expose the solar cells on the plane to too much heat when it is stationary on the ground in Cairo. |
| If Solar Impulse is not in Egypt ready to touch down on Wednesday morning, it will wait in the sky until Thursday morning. | |
| "The winds for landing are good from about 2am until 8am," explained flight director Raymond Clerc. | |
| "Then, if we were to land afterwards, the temperatures on the ground would be too high, and it would be a problem for the structure [as we move Solar Impulse to the hanger]. If we're flying, it's not a problem because we're ventilated by the air speed." | "Then, if we were to land afterwards, the temperatures on the ground would be too high, and it would be a problem for the structure [as we move Solar Impulse to the hanger]. If we're flying, it's not a problem because we're ventilated by the air speed." |
| Before taking off from Seville International Airport at 04:20 GMT, Andre Borschberg said he inevitably felt the emotion of making his last journey in the plane. | Before taking off from Seville International Airport at 04:20 GMT, Andre Borschberg said he inevitably felt the emotion of making his last journey in the plane. |
| "It's meaningful obviously because it's my last flight in this round-the-world epic. I've started to think about it. I'm happy that we get close to the end but also prudent knowing that it is not done yet. I have to stay really focussed." | "It's meaningful obviously because it's my last flight in this round-the-world epic. I've started to think about it. I'm happy that we get close to the end but also prudent knowing that it is not done yet. I have to stay really focussed." |
| This penultimate leg crosses seven countries and as well as having to negotiate busy air routes, the slow-moving plane has to take account of a number of military operations in the Mediterranean/North Africa region. | This penultimate leg crosses seven countries and as well as having to negotiate busy air routes, the slow-moving plane has to take account of a number of military operations in the Mediterranean/North Africa region. |
| If the opportunity arises, Solar Impulse will stage a photoshoot before landing just above the pyramids. But this is likely to depend on getting the right lighting. | If the opportunity arises, Solar Impulse will stage a photoshoot before landing just above the pyramids. But this is likely to depend on getting the right lighting. |
| For Bertrand Piccard, going to Egypt is an important milestone for the project he founded. Egypt is where he landed 17 years ago in Breitling Orbiter 3 - the first balloon to make a non-stop, round-the-world flight. | For Bertrand Piccard, going to Egypt is an important milestone for the project he founded. Egypt is where he landed 17 years ago in Breitling Orbiter 3 - the first balloon to make a non-stop, round-the-world flight. |
| "We arrived there with so little fuel left - you know, the propane gas you have to burn in your envelope to stay airborne. I landed there with less than 1% of our reserves, and I was really scared to fall short of gas before the end. And that's when I said I want to fly around the world again but with no fuel," the Swiss adventurer said. | "We arrived there with so little fuel left - you know, the propane gas you have to burn in your envelope to stay airborne. I landed there with less than 1% of our reserves, and I was really scared to fall short of gas before the end. And that's when I said I want to fly around the world again but with no fuel," the Swiss adventurer said. |
| Mr Piccard and Mr Borschberg have been working on the Solar Impulse project for more than a decade. | Mr Piccard and Mr Borschberg have been working on the Solar Impulse project for more than a decade. |
| Their plane is wider than a 747 jumbo jet but weighs just 2.3 tonnes, which poses some unique challenges: | Their plane is wider than a 747 jumbo jet but weighs just 2.3 tonnes, which poses some unique challenges: |
| LEG 1: 9 March. Abu Dhabi (UAE) to Muscat (Oman) - 772km; 13 Hours 1 Minute | LEG 1: 9 March. Abu Dhabi (UAE) to Muscat (Oman) - 772km; 13 Hours 1 Minute |
| LEG 2: 10 March. Muscat (Oman) to Ahmedabad (India) - 1,593km; 15 Hours 20 Minutes | LEG 2: 10 March. Muscat (Oman) to Ahmedabad (India) - 1,593km; 15 Hours 20 Minutes |
| LEG 3: 18 March. Ahmedabad (India) to Varanasi (India) - 1,170km; 13 Hours 15 Minutes | LEG 3: 18 March. Ahmedabad (India) to Varanasi (India) - 1,170km; 13 Hours 15 Minutes |
| LEG 4: 18 March. Varanasi (India) to Mandalay (Myanmar) - 1,536km; 13 Hours 29 Minutes | LEG 4: 18 March. Varanasi (India) to Mandalay (Myanmar) - 1,536km; 13 Hours 29 Minutes |
| LEG 5: 29 March. Mandalay (Myanmar) to Chongqing (China) - 1,636km; 20 Hours 29 Minutes | LEG 5: 29 March. Mandalay (Myanmar) to Chongqing (China) - 1,636km; 20 Hours 29 Minutes |
| LEG 6: 21 April. Chongqing (China) to Nanjing (China) - 1,384km; 17 Hours 22 Minutes | LEG 6: 21 April. Chongqing (China) to Nanjing (China) - 1,384km; 17 Hours 22 Minutes |
| LEG 7: 30 May. Nanjing (China) to Nagoya (Japan) - 2,942km; 1 Day 20 Hours 9 Minutes | LEG 7: 30 May. Nanjing (China) to Nagoya (Japan) - 2,942km; 1 Day 20 Hours 9 Minutes |
| LEG 8: 28 June. Nagoya (Japan) to Kalaeloa, Hawaii (US) - 8,924km; 4 Days 21 Hours 52 Minutes | LEG 8: 28 June. Nagoya (Japan) to Kalaeloa, Hawaii (US) - 8,924km; 4 Days 21 Hours 52 Minutes |
| LEG 9: 21 April. Kalaeloa, Hawaii (US) to Mountain View, California (US) - 4,523km; 2 Days 17 Hours 29 Minutes | LEG 9: 21 April. Kalaeloa, Hawaii (US) to Mountain View, California (US) - 4,523km; 2 Days 17 Hours 29 Minutes |
| LEG 10: 2 May. Mountain View, California (US) to Phoenix, Arizona (US) - 1,199km; 15 Hours 52 Minutes | LEG 10: 2 May. Mountain View, California (US) to Phoenix, Arizona (US) - 1,199km; 15 Hours 52 Minutes |
| LEG 11: 12 May. Phoenix, Arizona (US) to Tulsa, Oklahoma (US) - 1,570 km; 18 Hours 10 Minutes | LEG 11: 12 May. Phoenix, Arizona (US) to Tulsa, Oklahoma (US) - 1,570 km; 18 Hours 10 Minutes |
| LEG 12: 21 May. Tulsa, Oklahoma (US) to Dayton, Ohio (US) - 1,113 km; 16 Hours 34 Minutes | LEG 12: 21 May. Tulsa, Oklahoma (US) to Dayton, Ohio (US) - 1,113 km; 16 Hours 34 Minutes |
| LEG 13: 25 May. Dayton, Ohio (US) to Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania (US) - 1,044 km; 16 Hours 47 Minutes | LEG 13: 25 May. Dayton, Ohio (US) to Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania (US) - 1,044 km; 16 Hours 47 Minutes |
| LEG 14: 11 June. Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania (US) to New York (US) - 230km; 4 Hours 41 Minutes | LEG 14: 11 June. Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania (US) to New York (US) - 230km; 4 Hours 41 Minutes |
| LEG 15: 20 June. New York (US) to Seville (Spain) | LEG 15: 20 June. New York (US) to Seville (Spain) |
| Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos | Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos |
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