Japan students fly plane on household batteries

TOKYO, July 17: Japanese students have succeeded in making a manned flight in a plane powered only by household batteries.

The group from the Tokyo Institute of Technology flew the plane a distance of 391 metres (1,283 ft) at an airfield north of the capital, in what was the first such battery-powered flight, said a spokesman for Matsushita Electric Industrial Co, the project's sponsors' yesterday.

The plane, with a 31-metre wing span but weighing just 44 kg, was piloted by a 63-kg student for the trip, which lasted about one minute.

The power was provided by 160 AA batteries.

''I didn't think it would fly so beautifully,'' said one of the students involved.

The team are hoping to have the flight recognised as a record by the Japan Aeronautic Association, the spokesman said.

Reuters