Just two months after maiden flightRolls-Royce’s “innovative spirit” hit a top speed of 387.4 mph, dam plan speed record for electric aircraft, Gizmodo reported. It also claims a top speed of 345.4 MPH over a distance of 3 kilometers (1.86 miles) and a lowest time at 3,000 meters (9,843 feet) (202 seconds). The records are yet to be certified, but if the 345.5 mph pace stands, it would beat the current record of 213 mph – due to a Extra 330LE powered by Siemens – at an impressive 132 mph.
Rolls royce car (aviation, not car company), conducted the tests on Nov. 16. For the record to be certified, it will send the tests to Fédération Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), the body in charge of world aviation records. If confirmed, the speed will be quite impressive when the plane only makes its first flight in September – suggesting that with more time, it could fly even faster.
The Spirit of Innovation is an old-fashioned “tail pull” (rear-driven) aircraft with a rear-mounted canopy that looks like it’s flying. It is powered by a 400 kW (535 HP), 750 volt motor. Rolls-Royce says it uses “the most powerful engine” the battery package ever assembled in space, “with 6,480 cells.
As Engadget details in one explainer, electric aircraft are impractical because current batteries have an energy density 50 times lower than jet fuel. However, they do have some promise for very short trips, like a 30 minutes of fun between Vancouver and Victoria in Canada. And unlike ICE engines that aren’t supercharged, electric motors retain full power as the plane climbs, making them ideal for time-climbing efforts – as Spirit of Innovation just showed. see.
