A 400kw (500 horsepower) motor powers the plane, hailed as a shining example of British innovation CREDIT: JOHN M DIBBS
Rolls-Royce’s battery-powered plane reached a top speed of 387 miles per hour in tests, which may make it the world’s fastest all-electric vehicle.
The Spirit of Innovation averaged 345mph over three kilometres, beating the existing record by 132mph, and managed 330mph over a 15km distance.
The results will need to be rubber stamped by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, the global body that certifies records for flight.
Warren East, Rolls-Royce chief executive, said: “Staking the claim for the all-electric world-speed record is a fantastic achievement.”
The plane was powered by a 400kw (500 horsepower) motor with a battery pack that Rolls-Royce says has the best power density of any used in aviation.
The main obstacle to using batteries as a power source in planes is their weight. The power system weighs 700kg, while the airframe is another 300kg. However, every year progress is being made to squeeze more power in per pound.
Rolls-Royce hopes to use the technology in smaller aircraft that can be used as air taxis, ferrying a handful of passengers distances of about 100 miles with no emissions and very little noise.
The previous record was set by a Siemens eAircraft-powered Extra 330 LE Aerobatic aircraft in 2017. The Telegraph - link - Howard Mustoe - link - John Dibbs photography - link - more like this - link
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