Rolls-Royce Spirit of Innovation aircraft broke world electric speed record
- Rolls-Royce Spirit of Innovation easily broke the electric speed record in 2021
- It surpassed its predecessor “by a phenomenal amount”
- And the footage of it it in action are stunning
Published on Mar 06, 2024 at 9:18 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Mar 06, 2024 at 9:18 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Adam Gray
Rolls-Royce Spirit of Innovation broke the electric speed record in 2021 “by a phenomenal amount” – and this incredible footage shows it in action.
It was described by Rolls-Royce itself as the “world’s fastest all-electric aircraft”.
Why? It set three new world records with “cutting-edge technologies that deliver clean, safe and competitive solutions to meet our planet’s vital power needs”.
The record attempt took place in November 2021, over Boscombe Down in Wiltshire, UK.
The heavily modified sports kit plane was equipped with the latest in battery technology and an all-electric powertrain.
It had a 400kW (500 hp) electric powertrain and the most power-dense propulsion battery pack ever assembled in aerospace – making it exceptionally fast.
It reached a top speed of 387.4 mph (623 km/h), smashing a world speed record for an electric aircraft that had lasted just four years.
“If you put 550 horsepower in a little airplane like this it’s going to go like the clappers and it does,” said Electroflight pilot, Steve Jones.
And while it has nothing on the top secret fastest plane ever, SR-72 “Son of Blackbird”, that’s capable of 4000mph speeds reportedly set to debut – it was a historic achievement.
The team labeled the record a sign we are entering the “third age of aviation”.
In fact, they believed it was confirmation that “electric aviation is absolutely and utterly here to stay”.
The Spirit of Innovation took three years to develop as part of Accel from 2018.
The $8 million R&D program was joint funded by the UK Government and Rolls-Royce.
Accel involved several companies and organizations, including aviation battery systems company, Electroflight, and electric motor company YASA.
The WMG Energy Innovation Center helped Electroflight test and develop the batteries for Spirit of Innovation.
“Electrification of flight is an important part of our sustainability strategy as we aim for net zero carbon by 2050,” said Rob Watson, director of Rolls-Royce Electrical.
“The capabilities developed by Accel will help position Rolls-Royce as a technology leader offering power systems to the Urban Air Mobility market.”
Phill O’Dell, director of flight operations at Rolls-Royce, also said: “It’s a great aeroplane to go and break records with.”
“But also to prove the future and the next steps for electric aviation.”
Matheu Parr, customer business director at Rolls-Royce Electrical added: “The key thing about breaking the record is about demonstrating how fast this technology is going and therefore how soon it’s going to be in all our lives.
“This technology offers us the opportunity to start traveling in a really net zero way.”
Speaking on fast, supersonic planes seem to be everywhere in 2024.
For example, Airbus are developing supersonic plane so fast you’ll blink and your journey is over or NASA’s recently revealed and “super quiet” X-59.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
