A team from the University of Stuttgart has flown into aviation history by averaging over 100 miles per hour for more than two hours, completing a 211-mile trip powered solely by electricity.
The eGenius, essentially a glider with a 60-kilowatt (80.5-horsepower) electric motor, was piloted by project leader Karl Keaser. The electric aircraft departed from Mindleheim, Germany, soared to 4,000 feet, and completed several laps between two nearby towns before landing.
The plane's 55-foot wingspan, tail-mounted propeller and 56-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack proved to be more than capable enough to get the eGenius into the record books with juice to spare.
The eGenius project began in 2007 at the University of Stuttgart. A sponsorship from Airbus allowed the team to begin building the plane in October of 2010. Its maiden flight was in May of this year and the record-setting trip took place on June 15th.
[Source: Wired | Image: Institute for Aircraft Design, University of Stuttgart]
The eGenius, essentially a glider with a 60-kilowatt (80.5-horsepower) electric motor, was piloted by project leader Karl Keaser. The electric aircraft departed from Mindleheim, Germany, soared to 4,000 feet, and completed several laps between two nearby towns before landing.
The plane's 55-foot wingspan, tail-mounted propeller and 56-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack proved to be more than capable enough to get the eGenius into the record books with juice to spare.
The eGenius project began in 2007 at the University of Stuttgart. A sponsorship from Airbus allowed the team to begin building the plane in October of 2010. Its maiden flight was in May of this year and the record-setting trip took place on June 15th.
[Source: Wired | Image: Institute for Aircraft Design, University of Stuttgart]
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