Taking flight for the first time a mere two months ago, the Rolls-Royce electric airplane “Spirit of Innovation” has now smashed all speed records for electric aircraft. It hit a top speed of 623.5 km/h, and also set the new average speed record at 555.9 km/h. It also hit 3km altitude in a record 202 second. The records have yet to be certified, but if the speed stands, it would beat the current record of held by a Siemens-powered Extra 330LE by 212 km/h.
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The latest tests of the Rolls-Royce electric airplane were conducted on November 16th. To have the records certified, it’s submitting the trials to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), the body in charge of world aviation records.
As the drive towards renewable powertrains continues, many aircraft manufacturers have been exploring electric planes over the last several years. It is hoped that the cargo industry will be the first planes to move over to electric as the technology evolves, much like what the shipping cargo industry is looking to do.
Naturally, weight is a much bigger problem to solve for airplanes compared to cars. For example, the new electric Ford F-150 Lightning bakkie is about 800 kilograms heavier than its ICE (internal combustion engine) counterpart. Adding that much weight to a small passenger plane like a Cessna will mean it could barely get off the ground.
Rolls-Royce is also developing an air-taxi with manufacturer Tecnam, which aims to deliver an “all-electric passenger aircraft for the commuter market.”
This project was funded in part by the Aerospace Technology Institute and UK government. “This is not only about breaking a world record; the advanced battery and propulsion technology developed for this programme has exciting applications for the Urban Air Mobility market and can help make ‘jet zero’ a reality,” said Rolls-Royce CEO Warren East.
