The Rolls-Royce ACCEL, named 'Spirit of Innovation', is a single-seat, all-electric propeller aircraft built to take the world speed record for electric flight. In November 2021 it averaged 345.4 mph over 3 km, about 135 mph faster than the record before it. Developed by Rolls-Royce.
The Rolls-Royce ACCEL, named 'Spirit of Innovation', is a single-seat, all-electric propeller aircraft built to take the world speed record for electric flight. Developed by Rolls-Royce.
See Specifications for full detail.
The Rolls-Royce ACCEL, named 'Spirit of Innovation', is a single-seat electric aircraft built for one purpose: to be the fastest electric aeroplane in the world. It was part of the Accelerating the Electrification of Flight programme, which Rolls-Royce ran with the motor maker YASA and the aviation start-up Electroflight, and which was half-funded by the UK government through the Aerospace Technology Institute. [1] [2]
It first flew on 15th September 2021 and set its records in November that year, averaging 345.4 mph over 3 km. It then went on display at the Science Museum, and Rolls-Royce shut down its electric air-taxi business in November 2024. [3] [4] [5]
Rolls-Royce has a history with record machines. Its first aero-engine, the Eagle, was fitted in four examples to the Vickers Vimy that Alcock and Brown flew across the Atlantic in 1919, and a Rolls-Royce engine powered the Supermarine S.6B that won the Schneider Trophy in 1931. ACCEL carried that idea into the electric era. [5]
The programme's goal was not the record itself. Rolls-Royce wanted a battery and powertrain that could stand in for what electric air taxis and small commuter aircraft would need, and a speed attempt was a hard, public test of it. Before the 2021 flights the previous record stood at about 210 mph. [6] [2]
The airframe is a carbon-fibre Nemesis NXT racing design with a 24 ft wingspan. It was built as a two-seater and cut down to a single seat to save weight, and three electric motors drive one three-blade propeller. Rolls-Royce rated the powertrain at 400 kW, or more than 500 hp. [5] [1] [2]
The battery was the hard part. It holds more than 6,000 cells, 6,480 by one count, cooled with air and water, with sensors that tell the pilot how much energy is left. Rolls-Royce described it as the most power-dense battery pack ever assembled for an aircraft, and the museum notes that it lasts about eight minutes. Ground testing ran for nine months and took the propeller up to about 2,400 rpm. [5] [1] [7]
On 15th September 2021 the aircraft took off from MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire for a flight of about 15 minutes. Rolls-Royce did not give a speed, and said the next step was a world-record attempt before the end of the year. [3] [8]
In November 2021, again over Boscombe Down, it set records over 3 km and 15 km and climbed to 3,000 m. The 3 km speed was 555.9 km/h (345.4 mph), the 15 km speed was 532 km/h, and the climb took 3 minutes 22 seconds. The FAI accepted the records in January 2022. [5] [1]
The aircraft now hangs from the ceiling of the Making the Modern World gallery at the Science Museum. The record beat the 2017 mark set by a German Extra 330LE with a Siemens powertrain by a wide margin. [5]
The commercial story ended sooner than the aircraft's display life. In November 2024 Rolls-Royce shut down its plans for an electric flying-taxi business, almost three years after the record flight, which means the ACCEL's main legacy is the record and the data behind it. [4]
The Rolls-Royce ACCEL 'Spirit of Innovation' has a top speed of 336 kn (387 mph / 622 km/h).
A total of 1 were built.
No, the Rolls-Royce ACCEL 'Spirit of Innovation' has been retired.
The Rolls-Royce ACCEL 'Spirit of Innovation' first flew on September 15th 2021.
The operator was Rolls-Royce.
The unit cost is Not publicly disclosed - a one-off research aircraft, half-funded by the UK government's Aerospace Technology Institute, that was never priced for sale.
The ACCEL only flew a handful of test and record flights from MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire and no longer flies, so it cannot be tracked on Flightradar24. The aircraft is displayed in the Making the Modern World gallery of the Science Museum in London.
| Performance | |
| Max Speed | 336 kn (387 mph / 622 km/h) |
|---|---|
| Cruise SpeedCruise Speed — The economical speed an aircraft sustains for the bulk of a flight - lower than maximum speed, chosen for the best balance of time and fuel burn. Glossary → | ?? |
| RangeRange — How far an aircraft can fly without refuelling. Quoted figures vary with payload, speed and reserves - see also ferry range and combat radius. Glossary → | ?? |
| Service CeilingService Ceiling — The highest altitude at which an aircraft can still climb at a useful rate (typically 100 ft/min). Above it, the air is too thin to keep climbing meaningfully. Glossary → | 9,843 ft demonstrated in the record climb |
| Airframe & Weight | |
| Wingspan | 24 ft |
| Length | ?? |
| Height | ?? |
| WeightMTOW — Maximum Take-Off Weight - the heaviest an aircraft is certified to be at the start of its take-off run, including fuel, crew, payload and the aircraft itself. Glossary → | empty: ??; MTOW: 2,646 lb for the Nemesis NXT it was derived from |
| Power & Payload | |
| Engines | 3 x YASA 750R axial-flux electric motors driving a three-blade propeller, 400 kW (500+ hp) powertrain, 6,480-cell battery |
| Crew | 1 |
| CapacityPayload — Everything an aircraft is carrying that isn't the aircraft or its fuel: passengers, cargo, or weapons. Payload and fuel usually trade off against each other. Glossary → | Single pilot, no payload |
| Program & Service | |
| Manufacturer | Rolls-Royce |
| Origin | United Kingdom |
| First Flight | September 15th 2021 |
| Service Entry | Never entered service |
| Retired | Withdrawn from flying - now displayed at the Science Museum, London |
| Number Built | 1 |
| Unit Cost | Not publicly disclosed - a one-off research aircraft, half-funded by the UK government's Aerospace Technology Institute, that was never priced for sale |
There are no recorded accidents or incidents associated with this plane.
| ACCEL 'Spirit of Innovation' | The only aircraft built, completed in 2021 by Rolls-Royce with YASA and Electroflight. It first flew from Boscombe Down on 15th September 2021 for about 15 minutes, broke the electric speed record in November 2021 and then ended its flying career as a display piece. It was a technology demonstrator for electric commuter aircraft and air taxis. |
| Sharp Nemesis NXT (donor design) | Rolls-Royce used the Sharp Nemesis NXT, a carbon-fibre racing aircraft, as the basis for the ACCEL. The two-seat design was cut down to a single seat to save weight and given an electric powertrain in place of its original engine. The donor design has a maximum take-off weight of 1,200 kg, and the ACCEL's wingspan is 7.3 m. |
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