The lithium battery is short-lived, to place it mildly — the White Lightning can very last for just five minutes of all-out racing, and ten minutes of reserve flight at decreased electric power. You will not likely see any endurance races with this one. Air Race E chief Jeff Walkman as a substitute describes the plane and the event as a “test bed” that will foster electrical flight as a whole.
The racing tourney doesn’t kick off right until 2020, and some aspects have nonetheless to be nailed down. Air Race E is only poised to name the eight groups for the initially race later this week. It could represent a milestone for higher-speed electrical flight, however, and the technological discoveries manufactured in this article could translate to daily air journey in the decades forward.
