1 February 2022
+VIDEO A Norwegian team has made the first flight of its all-electric racing aircraft for the new Air Race E series due to start in 2023 – the first aircraft being developed for the series to fly.
Nordic Air Racing team made a ten-minute test flight at Tønsberg Airport, Norway in late January, completing four circuits of the airfield at 2,000ft.
The pilot was Rein Inge Hoff. He carried out slow flight and control tests to ensure the aircraft behaved as predicted, testing with 90kW of power and working up to 140kt as planned, around 50-60% of the plane’s eventual potential in full race trim.
The aircraft is a converted Cassutt IIIM racing aircraft, fitted with an Emrax electric motor and Li-Ion battery system designed to deliver 170kW, about 225hp.
The Nordic Air Racing Team is one of 17 teams who have taken up the challenge to join the series. As well as the Open class, Air Race E is also set to run two other categories – a partly-standardised Performance class and an eVTOL class.
Jeff Zaltman, CEO of Air Race E, said, “The first-ever flight of our all-electric racing plane is a milestone achievement, both in the development of Air Race E as an international championship and in the progression of wider aviation technology.”
