OREANDA-NEWS. An electrically-powered aerobatic aircraft manufactured by Extra Aircraft has successfully undergone its maiden flight. Its record-setting motor was developed by Siemens.

An electric aircraft motor unveiled by Siemens in 2015 is a true powerhouse. Weighing only 50 kilograms, it generates 260 kilowatts of power, resulting in an unprecedented power-to-weight ratio. And that’s not the only reason it will make aviation history. Siemens experts also installed the motor and its entire power train into a two-seater aircraft, the Extra 330LE.

“The aircraft’s first flight is a milestone in the history of electric aircraft motors,” said Frank Anton, head of eAircraft at Siemens Corporate Technology (CT). Anton and his team were the first to conduct the flight of an electric aircraft in the category of certified aircraft with a power class of one quarter-megawatt, subject to the stringent safety guidelines of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and with a flight permit issued by the German Federal Aviation Authority.