A Lumby company has made aviation history.
Randy Rauck, co-owner of eUP Aviation, successfully flew Canada’s first battery-powered electric aircraft, the Green1, at the Pitt Meadows Airport Saturday.
“This a very exciting day in Canadian aviation history,” said John McClintock, a co-owner.
“While eUP will offer this system on other aircraft, right now the state-of-the-art in electric flight is a perfect match for self-launch soaring gliders such as hang gliders and paragliders.”
Rauck and McClintock manufactured the aircraft using components from North America, Korea and Europe over the past year.
Testing had been completed in the Vancouver and North Okanagan areas over the past several months.
“Our motivation in developing the craft was to create an affordable, fun, environmentally-friendly electric aircraft with a clean, smooth and quiet flight experience,” said Rauck.
“eUP will be demonstrating the aircraft across Western Canada and the U.S. early in 2013, and we expect interest to be high in the Green1.”
Along with the Green1 trike-style of ultralight, development of an electric system for motorized paragliders and conventional gliders is underway.
Video of the flight is available online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKmTnPkxHPc&feature=plcp and from the ground at http://youtu.be/uE3cJIwZEyU
