An air race from London to Darwin has been planned for 2019 to celebrate the centenary of the 1919 Great Air Race, using only aircraft powered by electricity.
In 1919, the Australian Government offered a £10,000 prize for the first plane, crewed by Australians, to successfully make the journey from London to Darwin in fewer than 30 days. Brothers Ross and Keith Smith, flying modified Vickers Vimy G-EAOU, won the prize when they landed in Darwin after 27 days and 20 hours.
The 2019 event is expected to attract competitors from around the world, and is planned for September next year. The event has the support of the Northern Territory government, and was inspired by an idea from Dick Smith.
"By showcasing low pollution, electrically-powered and innovative, highly efficient aircraft in the Great Air Race, we aim to celebrate a century of achievement by engineers, designers, and aircraft constructors," an organiser's statement says. "We will together usher in the next century of quiet, environmentally friendly aviation.
"Prior to 1919, no aircraft had flown the vast distances necessary to reach the other side of the globe. The challenge the 2019 event poses is very similar: are electric aircraft ready to tackle that same route?"
Professor John Storey, Emeritus Professor of Physics at UNSW said that the Centenary E-race race could fast-track renewable flight technology and stimulate the e-aviation industry.
“The event is technically feasible," he said, "but being able to complete the route within 30 days is by no means a foregone conclusion.That makes 2019 the right time to stage it: in 2009 it would have been impossible, in 2029 it will be routine. It’s a very happy coincidence.”
Aircraft competing will be allowed to re-charged using renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, or by hydrogen fuel cells. The hydrogen can also be produced by renewable energy. Hybrid aircraft will also be included in the race, with some power coming from batteries and some from an engine.
Entries for the 2019 Centenary Great Air Race opened on 19 March, 99 years to the day that acting Prime Minister William Watt announced the original London-Darwin race.
More information is on the Centenary Great Air Race website.