Battery-powered electric plane flies in Australian skies

Light sport electric aircraft, Alpha Electro, designed by Slovenia- based manufacturer Pipistrel took to the Australian skies recently. The first of its kind, the plane has been designed to an efficient and cheap pilot training craft.  

The test flight was spear-headed by Australian sustainable aviation company Electro.Aero. The company is at the forefront of electric aviation technology in the country after obtaining certification for the Alpha Electro by the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority in late 2017.

The plane is a two-seater, single-propeller light aircraft, powered by two llithium-ion batteries. A single charge can reportedly keep the plane in the air for up to one hour, with 30 minutes of extra power in reserve. The plane's batteries are replaceable for quick flight turnovers or can be fully charged in just under one hour.

The test flight was spear-headed by Australian sustainable aviation company Electro.Aero,a company which leads the electric aviation in the country Richard Charlton, the finance director of Electro.Aero said,"The electric engine is really simple. It has one moving part, it's a very small piece of equipment and it is a solid-state motor."