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Anequim Breaks Multiple Records

Brazilian school project sees incredible success.

Just months after its first flight, Anequim CEA-311, a Brazilian speedster built by students and professors at the Brazilian technical school Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) in Belo Horizonte, has achieved multiple world records at the Santa Cruz Air Force Base in Rio de Janeiro.

Between Friday and Sunday last week, the sleek single-seat carbon fiber airplane broke no less than five world records. While the numbers have not yet been confirmed by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), the preliminary numbers released by the airplane’s designer, Paulo Iscold, indicate that Anequim shattered the previous records in each category. In the category of speed over a 3 km course, the Anequim flew at 521.08 km/hr (281 knots), about 55 km/hr faster than the previous record, set by the DR-90 Nemesis. Another previous Nemesis record, speed over 15 km, previously set at 455.8 km/hr, was increased by Anequim to 511.19 km/hr (276 knots). And in two additional categories, the speed over a 100 km closed course and a 500 km closed course, Anequim blasted the previous records by more than 100 km/hr, clocking in at 490.14 km/hr (265 knots) and 493.74 km/hr (267 knots) respectively.

The airplane also showed stellar climb performance. It climbed to 3,000 meters in 2 minutes 26 seconds, breaking the previous record by more than 40 seconds.

While a stellar performer, don’t expect to be able to purchase this airplane. According to Gúnar Armin Halboth, who piloted the airplane and was a part of its development, the Anequim is a one-off.

Halboth said there was no rehearsal for the record-breaking flights. “[The] decision was just to be sure we’d break [the records] and, if necessary, stretch them later,” he said. The speed record over 3 km was done at less than 100 meters off the ground. “Anequim was very stable and it was really fun to be at 521 km/hr that low!” Halboth said.

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