Holding All the (Official) Records

Dean Sigler Electric Powerplants, Sustainable Aviation Leave a Comment

If you go to the Federation Aeronautique Internationale web site, you’ll find only three officially ratified ratified records for Sub-Class RAL1E, Electric-powered Microlights with moveable aerodynamic controls.  They all belong to Jean Luc Soullier and Luxembourg Spécial Aerotechnics – L.S.A., assisted by fellow members Martin Marschner von Helmreich, Fabrice Tummers and Roman Marcinowski, flying their Colomban MC-30 Luciole (Firefly).  The F. A. I. made their February 2 flight achievements official just a few weeks ago. This small group developed the current power system with Electravia, and campaigned the airplane at Sisteron, France for these initial records.  They plan on going higher, faster and farther, including a flight across a significant body of water. Jean Luc shared the following with your editor.  “My culture is facts, no more no less. As we equipped the aircraft [with a] full set of recorders, positive difference was easy to see between before and after setting wing deturbulators: 20% of gain[ed] energy at constant speed …