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Airbus got beat to the punch on English Channel Electric Flight
Hours before the much anticipated Airbus E-Fan flight, a FenchMan in an Electric Cri Cri flew from Calais to Dover, landed and came back to fetch the 1,000 pound award offered by an English newspaper. (abcnews.go.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
Why are we getting excited about an electric plane flying the English Channel when another just flew from Japan to Hawaii.
Airbus says they did it first accusing that the Cri Cri launched from an aircraft. Appears the French Aviation authorities would not allow the Cri Cri to take off, so he was towed like a glider. Hmmm, wonder why he couldn't get clearance.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/10/airbus-french-pilot-first-electric-flight-channel
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/10/airbus-french-pilot-first-electric-flight-channel
AB will probably also protest the Boeing X1 Sound-Barrier record since it didn't take off on it's own power either!
But the first flight of an electric aircraft over the English Chanel happened more than 30 years ago.
Two years after the Gossamer Albatross crossed the channel under pedal power an solar-electric version of the aircraft made the crossing.
In fact the Solar Challenger stayed in the air for five hours and 23 minutes and covered 163 miles on a flight from Pontois-Cormeilles Aerodrome to RAF Manston.
That flight happened almost 34 years to the day (July 7, 1981) before the dust-up over bragging rights for the conquering of the Channel erupted between Airbus and two other cross-channel efforts.
The Solar Challenger didn't have batteries at all. More than 16,000 solar cells provided the power. History will judge who "won" this competition.
Two years after the Gossamer Albatross crossed the channel under pedal power an solar-electric version of the aircraft made the crossing.
In fact the Solar Challenger stayed in the air for five hours and 23 minutes and covered 163 miles on a flight from Pontois-Cormeilles Aerodrome to RAF Manston.
That flight happened almost 34 years to the day (July 7, 1981) before the dust-up over bragging rights for the conquering of the Channel erupted between Airbus and two other cross-channel efforts.
The Solar Challenger didn't have batteries at all. More than 16,000 solar cells provided the power. History will judge who "won" this competition.
That did not count for two reasons.
1. It did not have batteries.
2. It was not Airbus.
(From the gospel according to Airbus)
1. It did not have batteries.
2. It was not Airbus.
(From the gospel according to Airbus)
I'm sure people said the same thing when Blériot did it.
(That was supposed to be a reply to linbb)