A small electric airplane, the ElectraFlyer C, made its first debut at the AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, last week.
The ElectraFlyer C received its airworthiness certificate in April, featuring a 5.6 kWh lithium battery with a projected 1,000 cycles. The battery has a max weight of 78 pounds and can be custom-built. It provides juice for a motor driving 45-inch superlight PowerFin propeller made of a foam core surrounded by an outer shell of carbon fiber and glass fabric.
The ElectraFlyer C has a cruising speed of 70 miles per hour and has a top speed of 90 mph. The plane can fly for 90 to 120 minutes before the battery needs recharging. Low-bat? Just plug the battery into a 110V outlet at home and you’re good to go for more than six hours or plug it into a 220V and you’re flying again in two hours.
Electric Aircraft Corporation staff said the ElectraFlyer C has great benefits, such as the silent motor, which is beneficial to pilots meaning no earplugs and brings the potential for flying into new sites. There’s also a dramatic improvement in the engine. The plane also emits less pollution and overhauls are done in a jiffy. The ElectraFlyer C’s propeller combined with the motor, the flight is practically vibration free. The economic benefit is the most compelling, since refueling the plane with a full charge of the battery will cost a whopping sixty cents.



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