Watch “Spirit of Innovation” take off for it’s first flight.
The first flight for Rolls-Royce all-electric plane ‘Spirit of Innovation’ flown at Boscombe Down on Wednesday 15th of September 2021. A key milestone in the ACCEL project for the team as they gear up to the world record attempt later this year.
The plane took to the skies propelled by its powerful 400kW (500+hp) electric powertrain with the most power-dense battery pack ever assembled for an aircraft.
Half of the project’s funding is provided by the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), in partnership with the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and Innovate UK. In the run up to COP26, the ACCEL programme is further evidence of the UK’s position at the forefront of the zero-emission aircraft revolution.