WATCH: Amazing Solar-Powered Plane May Become 1st To Fly Around World

When a team of United States Army Air Service pilots made the first aerial circumnavigation of the world in 1924, they at least had the benefit of starting with a full tank of fuel.

That’s not the case for the Solar Impulse 2 (Si2), whose crew is poised to become the first to fly around the globe using only solar power.

The unique, solar-powered aircraft was slated to arrive at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York around 4 a.m. on Tuesday for a pit stop before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Abu Dhabi on the final leg of its round-the-world journey, according to the Port Authority of NY/NJ.

Although the craft's departure from Lehigh Valley International Airport was delayed due to weather conditions, project organizers are confident that the Si2 will soon be back in the air.

Its predecessor, Solar Impulse I, has already set three world records, becoming the first solar airplane to fly through an entire night, fly between two continents and fly across the United States, according to its creators.

The eco-friendly airplane boasts a 236-foot wingspan – greater than that of a Boeing 747. It weighs 2.3 tons and makes use of 17,248 solar cells, and can reach speeds between 45 km/h (28 mph) and 90 km/h (56 mph) depending on the altitude.

But here's the kicker, the plane's makers say; the Si2 has tallied more than 117 hours of flight time with "zero fuel consumption."

According to Port Authority officials, the Si2's pilots - Swiss entrepreneurs Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg - began their round-the-world journey in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates in March of 2015.

They've been traveling ever since in an attempt to prove that the Si2 isn't just a fluke of engineering... it's the future of aviation.

"To build an airplane of the size of a 747 with the weight of a car, something which was considered impossible by the aviation industry, we had to develop the right mindset in order to push the limits of the technologies," Borschberg stated. With partners who believed in the same vision, we developed solutions to make our airplanes very energy efficient."

According to the company's website, design features include:

• Protective transparent resin
• Construction made of composite material with carbon fiber
• Ultralight, efficient solar cells
• Energy-dense batteries
• Intense and lightweight LEDs
• Ultra-lightweight, high-density thermal insulation foam
• Smart energy dispatcher systems
• Energy efficient engines

“The problem with our society is that, despite all the grand talk about sustainable development, we are a long way from making use of the clean technologies that are already available to us,” Piccard writes. “But if an airplane can fly day and night without fuel, then we can power our world on clean energy.”

"We are delighted to welcome Solar Impulse 2 to JFK Airport," said Port Authority Executive Director Pat Foye. "The clean technology exemplified by Si2 demonstrates clearly that renewable energy sources are reliable and capable of helping reduce fossil fuels in air travel. This innovative aircraft is proving that continuous flight without fossil fuel is possible."

Watch the Si2 on Leg 13 of its journey below (Dayton, Ohio to Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia).

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Photos and video courtesy of Solar Impulse