On a bright afternoon in September, a small silver and blue aircraft took off from Boscombe Down, the military airfield near Stonehenge that has been the site of many famous maiden flights.
This was no exception — the single-seater was electrically powered and carried the hopes of its developer, Rolls-Royce, eventually to bring a battery-powered aircraft to market.
With 6,000 battery cells and three motors delivering more than 500 horsepower, Spirit of Innovation (pictured above) will soon be aiming for an air speed world record for electric aircraft. But it is not just about chasing records; the aircraft is the most eye-catching example of the FTSE 100 company’s focus on developing technology breakthroughs that could transform commercial aviation.