Q&A: A look at solar plane attempting round-the-world trip

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Two Swiss pioneers are attempting to fly around the world in a solar-powered airplane without a drop of fossil fuel. Here’s a look at the plane and the pioneers behind it: ___ HOW IS THE PLANE FLYING ONLY ON SOLAR POWER? Described by its creators as “an airborne laboratory,” the single-seat Solar Impulse 2 has 17,248 ultra-efficient solar cells that transfer solar energy to four electrical motors that power the plane’s propellers. Piccard and Borschberg encourage people to discuss the project online using FutureIsClean to send a “strong message for clean technologies.” They hope to mobilize politicians, governments, celebrities and private citizens ahead of the Conference on Climate Change of the United Nations, which will define the new Kyoto protocol in December 2015 in Paris. Those curious can track the aircraft on Solar Impulse’s website, which provides live information about the plane’s battery status, energy consumption, location and flight path, as well as how much the pilot has slept and how much food and water he has left.