Jul 27

Extra footage of record-setting Yates electric plane flight shows power loss, dramatic deadstick landing (video)

Posted in: Today's Chili

Video of record-setting Chip Yates electric plane flight shows power loss, dramatic deadstick landing

We’ve chronicled Flight of the Century founder and CEO Chip Yates‘ record-breaking 202.6MPH flight in his Long-ESA EV craft before. What we didn’t quite touch on, however, is the power loss Yates’ aircraft suffered after earning that electric plane speed record. Now Yates has released new video of the flight, which includes the moment his aircraft breaks the record, the ensuing power loss and his dramatic deadstick landing. That smile you see in the photo up there is the smile of a man who just made history and is also happy to be alive. Hey, we’re glad he’s safe, too. You can witness the close call yourself by checking out the video after the break.

[Image credit: Flight of the Century]

Continue reading Extra footage of record-setting Yates electric plane flight shows power loss, dramatic deadstick landing (video)

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Extra footage of record-setting Yates electric plane flight shows power loss, dramatic deadstick landing (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jul 2012 02:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jul 20

Long-ESA now the world’s fastest electric airplane

Posted in: Today's Chili

For Chip Yates, it’s all about setting world records. Yates, who also holds the world record for the fastest run on an electric motorcycle at 200 mph, flew the Long-ESA electric airplane at the Inyokern Airport in California’s Mojave Desert this week. Yates was able fly the electric plane at the speed of 202.6 miles per hour, breaking the previous record of 175 mph.

The Long-ESA is actually an electric version of Burt Rutan’s Long-EZ. In case you didn’t know, Rutan is an aerospace engineer who won an X-Prize in 2004. But Chip Yates isn’t resting on his laurels yet as he intends to up the ante to even greater speeds. Yates is planning to share the details of the feat as well as his plans for a nonstop trans-Atlantic electric flight at the EAA Airventure in Oshkosh, Wisconsin next week.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Paper airplanes make for great letters, NASA-approved electric airplane covers 200 miles in a couple of hours,

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