it has taken to the air 240 times,
could this be the world's first electrically-powered 2 seater aeroplane to be commercial available? it is the RX1E aircraft which made its public debut at Airshow China and sources state the country's first domestically developed electric aircraft is about to enter mass production, the development was headed by Shenyang Aerospace University, the RX1E is a single-propeller, fixed landing gear, two-seat parasol monoplane that employs a lithium ion battery pack to drive an electric motor, among its many positive attributes are zero emissions, negligible noise, and low operating costs,
the extensive use of lightweight composite materials has resulted in an aircraft whose maximum takeoff weight is only 480 kg (1,060 lbs), based on an advised cruise speed of up to 160kph (just under 100mph), the fully-charged RX1E can fly for 90 minutes at an altitude of 3,000 meters (9,840 ft) over a 230 km (145 miles) range, though these flight parameters may seem modest, they're actually ideal for the RX1E's projected uses: police patrols, flight training, aerial surveying, and recreation to name just a few,
each RX1E fitted with a set of batteries is expected to retail at about 1 million yuan (about $163,000), the cost of each hour of flight will cost only 20 yuan ($3.25) including 5 yuan (82 cents) for battery charging, the next step in the aeroplanes production is acquiring its airworthiness certificate, expected by the end of 2014, pending certification, mass production is tentatively scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2015, what a neat idea.
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