A startup aircraft company in Norway has completed a successful maiden flight with the first-ever electric amphibious aircraft, according to the firm, Equator Aircraft Norway. The first “fully balanced” flight of the Equator P2 Xcursion prototype was flown by test pilot Eskil Amdal and observed on the ground by Equator employees, according to the company.
The aircraft took off from Runway 22 at Norway’s Eggemoen Technology Park at 70 knots and flew down the runway at 100 knots at an altitude of about 30 feet before landing. Two more test flights were carried out the next day.
"It was a fantastic day for the team, and marks the real beginning of the test program for the aircraft prototype,” said designer and CEO Tomas Brødreskift in a statement. “We are now looking forward to gaining actual flight data, and not to mention look forward to putting the aircraft on the water as soon as possible.
We are thrilled to see the aircraft perform as expected, and can't wait to test the aircraft further.”
The P2 Xcursion is a prototype that has been in limited development since 2010. It has the ability to land both on land and water. It boasts better performance than other land planes due to its small electric motor, low float wings, and aerodynamics, according to Equator.
The current prototype can fly for approximately 35 minutes on a charge, with further development promising aircraft that can fly for at least an hour and 45 minutes. A hybrid configuration of the Xcursion will give it an endurance of five to six hours. A video of the test flight was posted by Equator on Youtube.
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