“We believe our all-electric, Spirit of Innovation aircraft is the world’s fastest all-electric aircraft.” Credit: Rolls-Royce
Key Takeaways:
Rolls-Royce's "Spirit of Innovation" all-electric aircraft has reportedly set three new world speed records, pending official certification from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI).
The reported records include a top speed of 555.9 km/h (345.4 mph) over 3 kilometers, significantly crushing the previous record, and a maximum speed of 623 km/h (387.4 mph), which Rolls-Royce believes makes it the world’s fastest all-electric vehicle.
Additional records achieved include the fastest speed over 15 kilometers (532.1 km/h) and the fastest time to climb to 3,000 meters.
Powered by a 400kW electric powertrain and the most power-dense battery pack ever for an aircraft, these achievements highlight rapid advancements in electric flight and its potential for future applications like urban air mobility.
Rolls-Royce is awaiting official certification that it has set three new world speed records for all-electric aircraft.
Last week, engineers clocked its single-engine, electric research plane at a top speed of 555.9 km/h (345.4 mph) over 3 kilometers, which, if certified, would crush the existing record by 213.04 km/h (132 mph).
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Thom is a former senior editor for FLYING. Previously, his freelance reporting appeared in aviation industry magazines. Thom also spent three decades as a TV and digital journalist at CNN’s bureaus in Washington and Atlanta, eventually specializing in aviation. He has reported from air shows in Oshkosh, Farnborough and Paris. Follow Thom on Twitter @thompatterson.
