Solar plane ends US tour in Washington

The single-seater, solar-powered Solar Impulse aircraft landed near the US capital early Sunday, on the second to last leg of its cross-country journey, organizers said.

The plane, which runs on four electric propellers powered by 12,000 solar cells mounted on the plane's 63-meter wingspan, touched down smoothly in the dark at Dulles International Airport at 12:15 am (1415 GMT).

The Solar Impulse usually lands in the middle of the night, when traffic at the airports has subsided.

At the controls was Swiss pilot Bertrand Piccard, who is taking turns with compatriot Andre Borschberg on different legs of the flight across the United States.

Speaking shortly after landing, Piccard was elated with the flight.

AFP