Read the full story at http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/news/stories/2 ... _aircraft/At Sywell Aerodrome near Northampton, the first electric aircraft flew under the recently introduced sub-115 kg regime, which allows single seat, lightweight aircraft to be developed and flown in the UK without the administrative burden of the airworthiness approvals process applied to larger aircraft. This class was introduced to encourage innovation in light aviation in the UK.
The electric propulsion system for the twin-engine, fixed-wing Lazair airframe of Canadian origin was designed and built by Dr Paul Robertson of the Engineering Department, in collaboration with Paul Dewhurst of Flylight Airsports Ltd, a Midlands based manufacturer and importer of microlight aircraft. The hang-glider (flex-wing) based Dragonfly trike unit, made by Flylight, was powered by an electric motor system being developed in Germany. The electric aircraft have flown for around 30 minutes on a single charge, reaching an altitude of 1700 ft.
More info at http://www.elektor.com/news/brushless-m ... 2841.lynkx