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06-Sep-2010

PHOTO CAPTION: Cri-Cri electric airplane on maiden test flight over Le Bourget airport near Paris.

Airbus Maker Takes Electric 'Cricket' Out for Test Flight

Objective of flight is to understand the behavior of batteries in flight.

If you happened to be around Le Bourget airport near Paris yesterday, you might have heard a soft whirring noise, looked up and seen the above aircraft.

That tiny little contraption snugly holding in one pilot is the Cri-Cri, an all-electric airplane and the first of its kind that can perform aerobatic stunts and run on four engines.

Built by Airbus parent EADS along with two other French companies, the battery-run aircraft made its maiden voyage on Thursday. Take off and the climb was smoothly, there were no vibrations, maneuverability was excellent and the whole thing lasted an almighty seven minutes.

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