Rolls-Royce reveals first look of its all-electric aircraft

Rolls-Royce has revealed the first look of its all-electric aircraft at Gloucestershire Airport in the UK.

It is claimed to be the fastest all-electric aircraft on the market with a target speed of more than 300mph.

The aircraft is part of a Rolls-Royce initiative called ‘Accelerating the Electrification of Flight’ (ACCEL).

Following this unveiling, Rolls-Royce will now begin integrating the electrical propulsion system onto the zero-emissions plane. It is scheduled for launch in late spring 2020.

The new aircraft will be powered by 6,000 cells packed to reduce weight and increase thermal protection.

It is also equipped with an advanced cooling system to maximise the cells performance during the high-power record runs.

The propeller is powered by axial electric motors with the blades spinning at lower revolutions per minute.

The Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) is funding half of the project along with the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and Innovate UK.

Rolls-Royce Electrical director Rob Watson said: “Building the world’s fastest all-electric aircraft is nothing less than a revolutionary step change in aviation and we are delighted to unveil the ACCEL project plane.

“This is not only an important step towards the world-record attempt but will also help to develop Rolls-Royce’s capabilities and ensure that we are at the forefront of developing technology that can play a fundamental role in enabling the transition to a low carbon global economy.”

The ionBird test airframe that will be used to test the propulsion system was also unveiled.