NASA unveils its first electric airplane, the X-57 Maxwell

Adapted from a Italian-made Tecnam P2006T twin-engine propeller plane, the X-57 has been under development since 2015 and remains at least a year away from its first test flight in the skies over Edward Air Force Base.

But after attaching the two largest of 14 electric motors that will ultimately propel the plane - powered by specially designed lithium ion batteries - NASA deemed the Maxwell ready for its first public preview.

Image credit: https://www.nasa.gov/

NASA also showed off a newly built simulator that allows engineers, and pilots, to get the feel of what it will be like to maneuver the finished version of the X-57 in flight, even as the plane remains under development.

In pic: NASA test pilot Wayne Ringelberg trains in a flight simulator for NASA's first all-electric plane, the X-57 Maxwell.

The Maxwell is the latest in a proud line of experimental aircraft the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has developed over many decades for many purposes, including the bullet-shaped Bell X-1 that first broke the sound barrier and the X-15 rocket plane flown by Neil Armstrong before he joined the Apollo moon team.

Image credit: https://www.nasa.gov/

The Maxwell will be the agency's first crewed X-plane to be developed in two decades.

While private companies have been developing all-electric planes and hover-craft for years, NASA's X-57 venture is aimed at designing and proving technology according to standards that commercial manufacturers can adapt for government certification.

In pic: An electric power gage is shown on the screen of a flight simulator for NASA's first all-electric plane, the X-57 Maxwell.

Those will include standards for airworthiness and safety, as well as for energy efficiency and noise, Brent Cobleigh, a project manager for NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards, about 100 miles (160 km) north of Los Angeles.

The lift propellers will be activated for take-off and landings, but retract during the flight's cruise phase.

Because electric motor systems are more compact with fewer moving parts than internal-combustion engines, they are simpler to maintain and weigh much less, requiring less energy to fly, Cobleigh explained. They also are quieter than conventional engines.

Image credit: https://www.nasa.gov/

One challenge is improving battery technology to store more energy to extend the plane's range, with faster re-charging.

Due to current battery limitations, the Maxwell's design is envisioned for use in short-haul flights as an air-taxi or commuter plane for a small number of passengers.

In pic: Technicians work on NASA's first all-electric plane, the X-57 Maxwell, at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California, US.