Nordic Racing Team May Be First to Compete with Electric Race Plane

The Nordic Air Racing Team's recently completed electric race plane is in preparation for the upcoming season of Air Race E.

The first racing series between all-electric aircraft, each race will see 8 planes tip-to-tip spring their way around a circuit at speeds up in excess of 200 knots when the maiden 2023 season of the Open Class. Air Race E is poised to be the premier international green racing organization, working with Formula Air Racing Association to develop new race formulas and work with other key stakeholders as they break new ground in sustainable, battery-powered flight. 

As teams prepare for the upcoming competition, Nordic Air Racing beat the rest to the punch after the small, 12 man team completed their open class build. They will be the first to get an all-electric race plane airborne during their upcoming test flight. Under the open class rules, each team may produce their own unique powertrain within formula rules, resulting in many cases as a handmade, bespoke aircraft customized for maximum performance. 

Pierre Dussaux, Sponsoring and Communications Manager for the Nordic Air team, described the process as “a big challenge." and said: "Building an electrical plane, and a race plane at that, is a process full of surprises." While difficult, teams appreciate the freedom given. “One of the major attractions of Air Race E as a platform is that the series provides an opportunity to prove our own technologies for future production. This gives our team freedom to develop and perfect our designs and systems for use in other sectors.” 

“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." he said. 

But like any high-performance machine, it can only perform as well as its pilot allows. Long time aerobatic pilot Rein Inge Hoff is set for the duty, adding to a long list of demanding aircraft including Mustangs and Spitfires. His PhD in Aerospace Engineering has been a help in converting the Cassutt IIIM formula race plane from it's piston-engine origins. The performance will be a spectacle when the light, agile aircraft is paired with an instantly accelerating electric motor. 

Jeff Zaltman, CEO of Air Race E, said, “We are closing in on the first-ever flight of an all-electric racing plane, and it promises to be a landmark moment in the creation and development of Air Race E as a championship.

“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.”

FMI: www.airracee.com