Solar plane lands in Spain after three-day Atlantic crossing

An airplane powered solely by the sun landed safely in Seville in Spain early on Thursday after an almost three-day flight across the Atlantic from New York in one of the longest legs of the first ever fuel-less flight around the world.

An airplane powered solely by the sun landed safely in Seville in Spain early on Thursday after an almost three-day flight across the Atlantic from New York in one of the longest legs of the first ever fuel-less flight around the world.

Solar Impulse 2, the solar powered airplane, piloted by Swiss pioneer Bertrand Piccard prepares to land in Seville. (REUTERS)

The single-seat Solar Impulse 2 touched down shortly after 7.30 am local time in Seville after leaving John F Kennedy International Airport at about 2.30 am EDT on June 20.

This handout photo obtained June 21, 2016 shows the Solar Impulse 2 over the Azores islands on its multiple-day flight across the Atlantic Ocean. (AFP Photo)

The flight of just over 71 hours was the 15th leg of the round-the-world journey by the plane piloted in turns by Swiss aviators Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg.

World map showing the path of Solar Impulse 2 aircraft which landed in Seville, Spain Thursday after crossing the Atlantic.

“Oh-la-la, absolutely perfect,” Piccard said after landing, thanking his engineering crew for their efforts.

With a cruising speed of around 70 kilometres an hour, similar to an average car, the plane has more than 17,0000 solar cells built in to wings with a span bigger than that of a Boeing 747.