NAGOYA – A solar-powered plane that unexpectedly landed in Japan to wait out bad weather will undergo repair work on its right wing and resume its around-the-world trip without the use of fuel in mid-June, organizers said Wednesday.
The Solar Impulse 2 had been forced to land at Nagoya airport on Monday night, cutting short what was to be an up to six-day flight from Nanjing, China, to Hawaii, the longest leg of the global trip.
The Swiss organization that runs the flight said in Nagoya that the right wing of the plane was damaged by winds after landing at the airport. It will take around 10 days to get the necessary parts from Switzerland and take off again, according to the body.
The aircraft, operated by two pilots alternatively, began its journey from the United Arab Emirates capital of Abu Dhabi in March. It landed in countries including India and Myanmar before arriving in Nanjing on April 21. It left Nanjing on Sunday.