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| Just after the landing in Calais, Airbus Group Chief Technical Officer Jean Botti (right) welcomes the test pilot Didier Esteyne next to the E-Fan technology demonstrator. Photo: Airbus. |
[Avionics Today 07-10-2015] Airbus Group’s E-Fan technology demonstrator has taken off by its own power. The all-electric, two-engine aircraft successfully crossed the English Channel traveling 74 kilometers (46 miles) between Lydd, England, and Calais, France in 36 minutes.
The E-Fan is powered by lithium-ion batteries, which offer an increased battery capacity of 60 percent compared to the aircraft’s original configuration. Flown by test pilot Didier Esteyne, the E-Fan weighs around 600 kilograms (1,320 pounds) and travelled at a maximum altitude of about 1,000 meters (3,500 feet).