Vibration Testing NASA’s X-57 Maxwell Electric Aircraft

It’s not only automobiles that are going electric — airplanes are as well! And, to prove that an aircraft can be electrically powered, NASA has developed the X-57 Maxwell, its first all-electric X-plane. The X-57 airplane, currently in the Mod II configuration, is a modified version of the Italian Tecnam P2006T. In place of the usual gasoline-powered motors, the X-57 has two all-electric motors powered by traction batteries. The X-57 Maxwell project has some lofty goals, including lower energy consumption (the X-57’s motors use one-fifth the energy of a gasoline-powered aircraft), reduced emissions, and lower noise during flight.