A few years ago most experts would have considered electrically powered aircraft to be an impossible dream. Airbus, the major European manufacturer of many of the large commercial aircraft flown by the world’s airlines, has announced an electrically powered concept aircraft that is not just on the drawing board but actually flying today.

The electrically-powered aircraft is reported to be able to operate over a distance of 400 km. at cruise speeds of up to 235 km. per hour.  With a wingspan of 16.86 metres, the aircraft accommodates two people seated side-by-side.  The aircraft is propelled by a tail-mounted rotor driven by a 60kW power plant, equivalent to 60 typical North American toasters.

Gallon Letter is impressed not just by the reported performance of this aeroplane but also to the commitment to innovation being demonstrated by Airbus. If more companies would challenge the ‘impossible’, instead of using imagined impossibility as an excuse for inaction, we would be making much faster progress towards addressing some of the world’s major environmental challenges.

The Airbus announcement of this unique aeroplane, along with a photograph, can be viewed at http://www.airbus.com/newsevents/news-events-single/detail/the-egenius-concept-aircraft-takes-to-the-skies-for-the-first-time/all-news/