Plane powered by sunshine completes its first test flight from Payerne Air Base Switzerland on April 7 2010.

The carbon fibre Solar Impulse, with a wingspan similar to that of a super-jumbo has four electric motors powered by 12,000 solar cells built into wings.

Round-the-world balloonist Bertrand Piccard is leading the project and intends to pilot the plane along with co-founder Andre Borschberg.

The flight team have been conducting flea-hop tests since December, taking the plane no higher than 60cm (2ft) in altitude and 300m in distance
Today  the Solar Impulse cruised a mile high for 87 minutes, reaching a top speed of 28mph.

“This first flight was for me a very intense moment!” exclaimed Solar Impulse test pilot Markus Scherdel, still under the emotion of the event, on stepping down from the aircraft. “The HB-SIA behaved just as the flight simulator told us! Despite its immense size and feather weight, the aircraft’s controllability matches our expectations!”

A night flight is planned later this year, and then a new plane will be built intended to be flown around the world in 2012 using not an ounce of fuel and kept in the air for up to five days at a time.

Source and picture: Solar Impulse