'Solar Impulse 2' takes off from Varanasi for Myanmar

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Sun powered aircraft 'Solar Impulse 2' on Thursday took off from the holy city of Varanasi for Mandalay in Myanmar.
The aircraft, which began its journey on March 9 from Abu Dhabi, was delayed in Ahmedabad earlier today by about two hours from its scheduled departure.
The aircraft is as heavy as a family car at 2,300 kilograms, but has a wingspan as wide as the largest airliner. The design and construction of the Solar Impulse took 12 years.
A first version of the craft rolled out in 2009 and broke records for height and distance travelled by a manned solar plane.
First Published: Mar 19 2015 | 8:59 AM IST