Russian Efly 1A Begins Flight Tests

Dean Sigler Batteries, Electric Powerplants, Sustainable Aviation Leave a Comment

Designing and building an airplane is a major undertaking, often taking a decade or more to complete.  Aleksey Sychev has completed two airplanes and at least two motors out of three planned.  Think about that – our Russian friend has built his own airplanes, motors, controllers, and battery packs.  The Russian engineer and teacher has even successfully flown his Efly 1A motor glider. Aleksey recounts the day on his Facebook page.  “We tested the Efly-1a motor glider. The declared characteristics were confirmed: 9 take-offs were performed on one battery charge, then 3 flights over the strip. Operating time on a single charge is 5 minutes (3 takeoff and 3 cruise modes are included). This is in numbers. There were unreal feelings. Everything was easy and harmonious, the plane seemed to be telling us: “Relax and enjoy”, and indeed, as soon as you turn on the gas, you feel the pull behind your back. No problem except for a long picnic …