Solar Impulse, has arrived in Le Bourget at its second attempt on Tuesday after three days’ delay, ready for a debut at the biennial International Paris Air Show. The 1.6-ton solar-powered plane was expected to land in Paris on Saturday but technical problems and bad weather forced it to turn back to Brussels.

Piloted by Solar Impulse’s co-founder and chief executive André Borschberg it took off from the military section of Brussels airport at 5.10am on Tuesday, taking advantage of a small weather window between rain fronts and landed 14 minutes ahead of schedule at Bourget airport in Paris at 9.16pm. The aircraft had to circle for several hours before landing because of heavy air traffic around Charles de Gaulle airport.

At the Paris Air Show  it will fly each morning from 20 June.

Source and photo: Solar Impulse

This Paris Air Show celebrates that 100 years ago the first Salon was held at the Grand Palais in central Paris in 1909.

Find our Photo Report of the 2009 Paris AirShow.