Record-Setting Electric Plane Flight Almost Didn't Make It [VIDEO]

Chip Yates already holds the record for piloting the fastest electric motorcycle, so why not try his hand at electric flight? The founder and CEO of Flight of the Century, which produces electric aircraft, has set the record for fastest manned flight in an electric plane at 202.6 mph. But Yates almost didn't make it after a scary in-flight hiccup.

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Yates isn't an experienced pilot, but he did design the record-breaking, all-electric Burt Rutan Long-EZ plane. Yates and his team at Flight of the Century have developed what they're calling "infinite range" technology to enable continuous flight by using a series of in-flight charging aircraft.

It may sound like a science-fiction dream come true, but this technology hasn't been perfected quite yet. After breaking the speed record, the plane's battery unexpectedly died. Yates was forced to make a dead-stick landing, gliding the plane onto the landing track. We're glad to report that Yates made it to terra firma just fine as a two-time record breaker.

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Yates record is the first step in what he hopes will be an aviation revolution. Flight of the Century planes are outfitted with electric batteries, which when depleted are jettisoned and guided to a ground or ocean-based recharging station. A fresh battery is simultaneously launched on a drone airplane, with which the electric plane docks. With the ability to drop one or more batteries during a trip, Flight of the Century says its Long EZ planes will have up to 90% greater range than ordinary planes.

SEE ALSO: Why You Should Consider an Electric Vehicle

Would you take a ride in an all-electric airplane? Tell us what you think of Yates's record-setting flight in the comments.

Thumbnail image courtesy of Flight of the Century

This story originally published on Mashable here.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/record-setting-electric-plane-flight-almost-didnt-video-152235176.html

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