The aviation world hasn’t witnessed this type of intrigue in 106 years — at least as far as an English Channel crossing is concerned. Seeking to replicate Louis Blériot’s famous overwater flight in July 1909, two would-be electric-airplane producers, Airbus and Pipistrel, are preparing to make historic Channel crossings this week in battery-powered prototypes. But only one, it seems, will be given the opportunity to succeed.
Pipistrel has reportedly received an urgent letter from electric motor maker Siemens ordering it to “stop any further use” of the company’s 80 kilowatt motor in its **Alpha Electro trainer **for a Channel crossing that should have happened on Tuesday. The German engineering conglomerate cites dire safety concerns with the 24-mile overwater flight — even though Slovenia-based Pipistrel insists its little airplane can make the journey with plenty of electricity to spare.
