The Rolls-Royce ACCEL, short for Accelerating the Electrification of Flight, is an electric aircraft demonstrator developed by Rolls-Royce plc as a racing aircraft aimed at the all-electric air speed record. The project was designed at Gloucestershire Airport, partly funded by the UK government, and run with partners including the electric motor and controller maker YASA Limited and the aviation start-up Electroflight. The aircraft, named Spirit of Innovation, is derived from the carbon fibre Sharp Nemesis NXT racer and is driven by triple stacked YASA 750R axial flux motors turning a single three-blade propeller, with power from a 750 volt, 73 kWh battery of 6,480 cells. It made its first flight on 15 September 2021 from MoD Boscombe Down, and in January 2022 the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale accepted its speeds as world records for electric aircraft.
Facts
Engine Class Top Speed (km/h) Comparison
Body StyleAircraft (no road body style) 1 Connections
Exemplifies
Source Rolls-Royce ACCEL (Wikipedia)
Of Make
Source Rolls-Royce ACCEL (Wikipedia)
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Manufactured By
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Source Rolls-Royce ACCEL (Wikipedia)Lead, developerQuote, Lead, developer
The Rolls-Royce ACCEL (Accelerating the Electrification of Flight) is an electric aircraft demonstrator developed by Rolls-Royce plc.
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Source Rolls-Royce ACCEL (Wikipedia)Development, design and fundingQuote, Development, design and funding
Designed at Gloucestershire Airport, the project is partly funded by the UK government and involves partners such as electric motor and controller manufacturer YASA Limited and aviation start-up Electroflight.
Sources
1. BBC News: Rolls-Royce all-electric aircraft breaks world records
BBC NewsLead
An all-electric aircraft built by Rolls-Royce has broken two world speed records.
Powertrain
The aircraft uses a 400kW electric powertrain - the equivalent of a 535 BHP supercar.
Maximum speed
A maximum speed reached, that of 387.4 mph (623 km/h) - which would make it the fastest electric vehicle ever - was not part of the official record submission.
View the Source 2. Rolls-Royce plc: Rolls-Royce all-electric Spirit of Innovation takes to the skies for the first time
Rolls-Royce plcPress release, first flightQuote, Press release, first flight
15 September 2021 We are pleased to announce the completion of the first flight of our all-electric ‘Spirit of Innovation’ aircraft.
3. Rolls-Royce plc: Introducing ACCEL
Rolls-Royce plcPowertrain
The all-electric powertrain will run at 750 volts and delivers 90% energy efficiency with zero emissions.
Motors
The propeller is driven by three high power density electric motors designed and manufactured by YASA in the UK.
View the Source Rolls-Royce ACCEL (Wikipedia)
Lead, developer
The Rolls-Royce ACCEL (Accelerating the Electrification of Flight) is an electric aircraft demonstrator developed by Rolls-Royce plc.
Development, design and funding
Designed at Gloucestershire Airport, the project is partly funded by the UK government and involves partners such as electric motor and controller manufacturer YASA Limited and aviation start-up Electroflight.
Of Make: Rolls-Royce, Lead
The Rolls-Royce ACCEL (Accelerating the Electrification of Flight) is an electric aircraft demonstrator developed by Rolls-Royce plc.
Exemplifies: Aviation, Development, aim of the project
Rolls-Royce developed the ACCEL as a racing aircraft to gain the all-electric air speed record, targeting over 260 kn (480 km/h).
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