Witness the humble beginning of all electric flight.

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Electric Airplane Sets Speed Record

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By Robert Roy Britt, Editorial Director posted: 25 June 2009 01:22 pm ET The mainstream media flat missed this one, but we think it's a rather cool breakthrough. Earlier this month, Italian astronaut Maurizio Cheli electrified the green flying world (okay, it's a small — but dedicated — group) with his record-setting flight of a fully electric airplane. The electric SkySpark flew for the first time June 8, then on June 10 was airborne for 8 minutes and hit a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h). That speed is said to be a record speed for a 100-percent electrically powered aircraft, according to SkySpark. The project is a joint enterprise between engineering company DigiSky and Turin Polytechnic University. The two-seat Pioneer Alpi 300 is powered by a 75-kW electric motor using brushless technology and lithium polymer batteries, a SkySpark statement explains. Electronic control systems make it possible to modulate RPM and torque, "with dynamics which are far beyond what it is attainable in reciprocating engines." ...