A solar powered aircraft made history Thursday after flying around the clock on the sun's energy alone, bringing the dream of perpetual flight a step closer.

After 26 hours in the air, the experimental Solar Impulse aircraft, flown by Andre Borschberg, made a seamless landing at Payerne airbase in western Switzerland at 9.01 am (0701 GMT), about three hours after daybreak.

"It's the first time ever that a solar airplane has flown through the night," said Bertrand Piccard, the Swiss adventurer who masterminded the project.

A euphoric Borschberg alighted from the single-seater plane to congratulations and slaps on the back from the 70-strong support team.

"I have the impression that I'm still in the air," the 57-year-old said.

"I feel very pleased, really happy. It was a crucial step. Now we'll go even further, we'll do long missions," he added.

The aircraft had taken off from Payerne at 0451 GMT Wednesday, for 14 hours of sunshine to power its engines and charge its batteries for the night flight.

Its wings -- a 63-metres (207-feet) span that matches the Airbus A340 airliner -- are covered with an array of 12,000 solar cells.

Flight director Claude Nicollier, himself a former space shuttle astronaut, said the flight had exceeded expectations.

"We needed also a litle bit of luck, which we had with the weather which was absolutely perfect," he said on Thursday morning.

As darkness fell Wednesday, there had been fears that a brief burst of strong high-altitude winds had deprived Solar Impulse of some of the stored energy to last the night.

But Borschberg seemed unflustered by his 26-hour experience, speaking only of "one or two little difficulties."

"The flight was really zen. It's very peaceful, during this time you have the time to think and to concentrate," he said.

For project leader Piccard, who achieved the first round-the-world balloon flight in 1999 and whose father and grandfather both broke height and depth records, it was a moment to savour.

He revealed that Solar Impulse had emerged from darkness with three hours of energy left in its batteries, far more than had been expected.

And by the time it landed, it had already taken advantage of the new burst of energy from the rising sun to recharge its batteries.

"Nothing can prevent us from another day and night... and the myth of perpetual flight," an elated Piccard told journalists.

The team is driven by a desire to demonstrate that clean energy and fuel saving is technically feasible and should be developed and used more widely for transport, in the household and at work.

Each of the four electric motors produced up to ten horsepower -- six kilowatts -- each barely more than the one that helped the Wright Brothers to make history in 1903 by hopping off the ground on the first powered flight.

"We didn't really have credibility until today," admitted Piccard.

"What we have done today in the air is an example of what should be done on the ground."

Already he was looking ahead to the next challenge, including possible transatlantic and round-the-world flights in 2013-2014.

"The second airplane will perform even better with lighter, thinner solar cells and more efficient systems," he added.

But they needed new partners to help fill a 20 percent shortfall in its 100-million-franc (75-million-euro, 95-million-dollar) budget, he said.