The record isn’t official yet, but the celebration has already begun. Earlier today Rolls-Royce’s Spirit of Innovation electric powered clocked better than 387 mph, shattering the existing speed mark for electric-powered planes.
Electric powered aircraft are an emerging technology, so it’s natural that new records would appear, but this one is remarkable for how much faster it is than the previous top mark, around 213 mph for an electric powered Extra 300, making the new speed mark 175 mph faster than the previous one. Which isn’t quite twice the speed, but not far from it. The company will also be issuing the claim for a climb record, of up to 3,000 meters (just under 10,000 feet) in around 3 minutes and 22 seconds.
Spirit of Innovation is powered by a 400 kw (roughly 535-hp) electric motor. The all-composite plane is based on a Reno Sport Class racer design by Jon Sharpe, the Nemesis NXT, which is capable of better than 400 mph.
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Learn more on the Rolls-Royce Electric Aircraft: Rolls-Royce Electric Speed Record-Seeking Plane Flies!
