Nordic Air Racing Team Set to Make First Electric Race Plane Flight

In preparation for the inaugural season of Air Race E, the Nordic Air Racing team is preparing for its first fully electric race plane flight.

Air Race E’s maiden season of Open Class will allow for unique powertrain configurations within formula rules. It’s set to begin in 2023. The Nordic team is facing competition from Switzerland and America but will become the first to conduct test flights at Jarlsberg Airport later this year.

“This is such a big challenge. Building an electrical plane, and a race plane at that, is a process full of surprises,” said Sponsoring and Communications Manager Pierre Dussaux in a statement Tuesday.

“It is so exciting, and we are hoping to develop impressive performance levels from this incredibly light aircraft. It will be so light and so fast, so when we see this plane in the air for the first time we will be very, very excited. It has been such hard work for our dedicated team of volunteers.”

Team member Rein Inge Hoff will be the first to fly the Air Race E-specification aircraft. Hoff, who has a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering, has previously flown the F-51D Mustang and the Supermarine Mk XVI Spitfire. This aircraft, however, is being specifically converted from a Cassutt IIIM formula race plane.

Project Manager Tomas Brødreskift stressed the importance of safety in the aircraft’s development stages.

“The most important thing this year is to be able to compete with planes that have had enough time to be tested before, in order to guarantee a high level of safety,” he said. “If we can make that happen, we will have a lot of opportunities to refine our technological choices and bring cutting-edge solutions for this sport to become a reference in aerospace technology.”

Air Race E CEO Jeff Zaltman expressed his joy on the team’s historic progress.

“I will be excited to see the hard work of the Nordic Air Racing team pay off when they make this historic flight, while I am grateful for the dedication and professionalism of all the teams, engineers and personnel who have contributed on our journey towards this milestone,” he said.