Rolls-Royce has completed ground testing of the technology which will be used in its line of all-electric planes. The company claims that one of its planes will be the fastest electric plane in the world.
The company mentioned that all the technologies have been tested on a full-scale replica of the plane’s core named ‘ionBird’. It includes a 500hp electric powertrain and a battery which is sufficient for 250 homes.
The plane is part of a Rolls-Royce’s prestigious project called ACCEL, short for Accelerating the Electrification of Flight.
The project team have been working even in COVID times with all the safety measures and have completed the technology testing successfully.
The team worked on various things while the technology tests. It includes
- Running the propeller up to full speed using the most power-dense battery pack ever assembled for aircraft propulsion.
- Optimising the system and developing operating procedures for electric flight.
- Analysing huge data generated from sensors and improving the performance based on it.
“Rolls-Royce is committed to playing a leading role in reaching net-zero carbon by 2050. The completion of ground-testing for the ACCEL project is a great achievement for the team and is another important step towards a world record attempt. This project is also helping to develop Rolls-Royce’s capabilities and ensure that we remain a leader in delivering the electrification of flight, an important part of our sustainability strategy” says Rob Watson, Director of Rolls-Royce Electrical
The first test flight of these electric planes is planned later this year. The company aim to beat the current all-electric flight world record early next year by building the fastest electric plane.
Announcements: Rolls-Royce
